Tibetan govt-in-exile appeals for 'non-violent' torch protests

The Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday urged that protests during the Indian leg of the Olympic torch relay be "non-violent" and not embarrass India.

The Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday urged that protests during the Indian leg of the Olympic torch relay be "non-violent" and not embarrass India.

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"We told the protesters that these protests must be peaceful. They must be kept non-violent," Thubten Samphel, the spokesman for the Dalai Lama's northern India-based exiled government, told AFP.

"We live in India, and it has been a good host for us for many years. The fact that we have been able to construct or establish a functional community is because we live and enjoy freedoms of India," he said.

"It's very important not to embarrass the host (India), which means we have asked Tibetans to keep their protest peaceful. They can express their feelings, but not to cause inconvenience to the government of India."