TIBET CLAIMS FREEDOM

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15190, 2 January 1913, Page 5

TIBET CLAIMS FREEDOM

INDEPENDENCE DECLARED.

1 \ ■■ . . !. REQUEST FOR RUSSO-BRITISH PROTECTION. > TRADE CONCESSIONS OFFERED By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. [ (Received January 1, 8.15 p.m.) St. Petersburg, January 1. Dokjieff, who has arrived at Urga (Mongolia) from Lhassa. announces that Tibet has declared its independence under the rule of the Dalai Lama/'. Tibet, it is stated, is desirous of , entering into a " treaty with Mongolia, and also an agreement placing Tibet under the protection of Great Britain and Russia. In-return these i countries are offered the freedom of I; trade with the right to exploit j Tibet's natural resources and to conj struct railways and, telegraphs. [ Tibet, the highest country in the world, > has been a suzerain dependency of China, • since. 1720, but the latter country has been 1 supposed to concern itself only with the j foreign and military' affairs of the country. J The Dalai Lama (chief Buddhist priest) p is the head of the Government, and is t assisted by a Prime Minister and several 3 other Ministers. Under an agreement • 5 entered into in 1906, between Great Britain and China, the former country agreed , - not to annex Tibetan territory, or to 1 interfere in the administration of Tibet. 5 China agreed not to permit any other for--1 eign State to interfere with the territory or > internal administration of Tibet. By the 1 Anglo-Russian convention of 1907, both these countries agreed to respect the territorial integrity of Tibet, and the suzerainty of China, and to treat with Tibet . only through the Chinese Government. 5 A similar agreement between Russia and , Japan was entered into during the same ; year. Great unrest has prevailed in Tibet - during the past year, and there have been j frequent conflicts between the Chinese and 1 Tibetan troops. i ' •' ■ ==