March 30, 1959
USA-BULGARIA: Washington, 27 – The United States has resumed diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, making it one less communist country with which the US has no relations, such as Albania, East Germany and a number of Asian states controlled by the Chinese communists. The US broke off diplomatic contacts with Bulgaria two years ago, mainly because of accusations made by the Bulgarian government against the US ambassador at the time. TIBET: London, 27 – According to reports from Gangtok, the capital of the kingdom of Sikkim on the Indian border, the Dalai Lama has taken refuge in a part of Tibet that is reportedly under the complete control of the Tibetan rebels, an area covering 30,000-40,000 square miles, which represents approximately one-tenth of total Tibetan territory. The rebels have blocked all transport on the Sikang plateau, thereby helping comrades in Lhasa and preventing supplies from reaching the Chinese troops. It is not clear at this point whether the Tibetan rebels have formed a free government, but the communists have reportedly sustained heavy losses in Lhasa.
