Tibetan exiles speak out against self-immolations

DHARMSALA, India (AP) - Representatives of Tibetan exiles from around the world urged their ethnic brethren in Tibet not to give up their lives in self-immolation protests, and decided to boost efforts to gain global support for their struggle against China's rule over their homeland.

More than 400 delegates attended a gathering of Tibetans in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala, which has been the headquarters of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, since he fled Tibet in 1950s. The four-day meeting ended Friday.

Since March 2009, more than 40 Tibetans have died in self-immolations to protest China's rule over Tibet.

Mr Penpa Tsering, speaking of the Tibetan exile parliament, said Tibetans should not give up their lives, and instead work toward solving the Tibetan issue with China.