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Tibetan activists shot at
by police out of danger

"Both are doing well," Karma Yeshi, vice president of the Tibetan Youth Congress told AFP.

The two activists were shot and injured on Sunday when, according to police, 35 demonstrators tried to break into the Taj Palace hotel, where Li was staying.

A third activist had to be hospitalised after being beaten around the head with a police baton.

"All three are still in hospital," said Yeshi, who denied the police version of events.

"We did not try to enter the hotel. It was just a peaceful demonstration," he said.

On whether he felt that the police were being particularly harsh in their crackdown on Tibetans, Yeshi merely said: "Li Peng has always been associated with bloodshed."

India is home to a sizeable Tibetan population, living in exile along with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

Yeshi said the Tibetan youth wing was not planning to stage any demonstration on Monday, as Li was leaving for Bangalore.

More than 200 Tibetan activists have been detained by the Delhi police since last Li arrived in Delhi last Thursday. They made several attempts to block his motorcade and protested outside the venues of his public engagements.

Li, the second-highest ranking Chinese leader, is in India on a nine-day visit, aimed at normalising ties after a rift caused by New Delhi's 1998 nuclear tests.

During his stay in Delhi, Li had talks with Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, called on President K R Narayanan, Vice President Krishna Kant and met captains of the industry.

Before leaving for Bangalore, Li met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday morning.

The Complete Coverage: The Li Peng Visit

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