Dalai Lama fears Chinese push in Tibet after Games

By Jean-Baptiste Vey

PARIS (Reuters) - French parliamentarians who met the Dalai Lama on Wednesday quoted him as saying there was a risk China would accelerate the settlement of one million Han Chinese in Tibet immediately after the Olympic Games.

Spokesmen for the Tibetan spiritual leader who were at the private meeting could not be reached to confirm the comments, which were reported to Reuters by four pro-Tibet legislators.

"He said that there was a risk ... that immediately after the Games a million Chinese will settle in Tibet to further dilute the Tibetan population," said Jean-Louis Bianco.

Critics of China say it is flooding Tibet with Han Chinese who could swamp its distinctive culture, particularly since the opening of a railway link to the region in 2006.

China denies this, citing huge economic development and great efforts to preserve Tibetan culture. It says only a small number of Han live permanently in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama is on a two-week visit to France, mostly focused on religious commitments. His meeting on Wednesday with the legislators was the only political item on his agenda.

"He gave us very worrying information about the situation in Tibet, speaking of arrests, torture, summary executions and a reinforcement of the Chinese military presence through new barracks," Bianco told Reuters just after the meeting.

At a press conference earlier, the Dalai Lama reiterated his support for the Beijing Olympics.