HOWZAT

With foreign reporters and tourists barred from Tibet, the Dalai Lama called for an international investigation to ascertain exactly what had happened.

"Please investigate, if possible... some international organisation can try firstly to inquire about the situation in Tibet," he said.

"Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some cultural genocide is taking place. There is some kind of discrimination: the Tibetans in their own land quite often are treated as second-class citizens."

He also denied the Chinese government’s accusation that he had masterminded the protests that began peacefully on Monday and flared into anti-Chinese riots on Friday.

"I have no such power," he said, when asked if he was able to bring an end to the protests.

The Dalai Lama also appealed to China to recognise his long-standing position that he wants real autonomy for Tibet, and not independence, and that his campaign is non-violent.

"We are not seeking separation - that, everyone knows," he said.

There was no immediate response from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Dalai Lama says that Tibet enjoyed de facto independence until Chinese Communist troops entered in 1950, but China says Tibet has been an integral part of its territory for centuries.

Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, said he also opposed an Olympic boycott over Tibet.

“We believe that the boycott doesn't solve anything,” he told reporters on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

“On the contrary, it is penalising innocent athletes and it is stopping the organization from something that definitely is worthwhile organizing.”

However, many Tibetan exiles disagree and the unrest of the last few days suggest that many younger Tibetans are growing increasingly frustrated with the Dalai Lama’s approach.

There were more angry protests in Dharamsala today, with activists nailing hundreds of Chinese flags to the ground for people to walk on.

Times Recommends

• Cairo women fight back against harassment
• Weapons-grade flirting for Hillary and David
• More at stake in Start talks than US and Russia