The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, New Delhi

Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday appealed for international pressure on Beijing to halt what he charged was a mounting Chinese military crackdown in his homeland. "Chinese authorities have deployed large contingents of troops in these traditional Tibetan regions and have not only started to crack down heavily on the Tibetans allegedly involved in the unrest, but also sealed off the areas where protests have taken place," the Dalai Lama said in a statement. He asked "world leaders, parliamentarians, NGOs and (the) public" to call "for an immediate end to the current crackdown, release of all those who have been arrested and detained, and the provision of proper medical treatment." Quoting "reliable sources" in his homeland, the exiled spiritual leader said there were also reports of "many injured Tibetans being afraid to go to Chinese-run hospitals and clinics." "I would also request you to encourage the sending of an independent international body to investigate the unrest and its underlying causes as well as allow the media and international medical teams to visit affected areas," he said.