April 17, 1959
TIBET: London, 11 – According to New Delhi, the Dalai Lama’s meeting with an envoy of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru has been interpreted as an assurance that he will avoid condemning Communist China over the violence it is using against Tibetan rebels. TIBET II: London, 16 – According to reports from Kalimpong, West Bengal, India, battles have broken out between Tibetan and Chinese troops 250 kilometers southwest of Lhasa, Tibet, near the main road to the capital in a highland area held by the rebels. The Chinese communists decided in early April to take the position to enable them to launch an offensive against the rebels. Reports from travelers in the region who left Tibet early this month, as well as later reports, have emphasized that the resistance movement is continuing. It is also reported that the rebels have seized a position on a plateau north of Lhasa and have been joined by another 10,000 men. The Indian consul in Lhasa reports that his movements have been restricted and he is only allowed to leave the consulate with an escort of Chinese soldiers, supposedly for his own protection. It is estimated that 4,000 people have been killed and 2,000 injured in battles in Lhasa, while some 5,000 people have been arrested. Houses are being searched for weapons.
