One mln Chinese to be settled in Tibet after Olympics: Dalai Lama

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) The Dalai Lama today accused China of effecting a ''demographic change'' in Tibet, saying one million Chinese would be settled there after the Olympics.

He also said China was involved in ''cultural genocide'' of the Tibetans.

''We have strong evidence that China was going to effect a major demographic change in Tibet. They are going to settle one million Chinese there after the Beijing Olympics,'' the Tibetan spiritual leader told a news conference.

He said half a million Chinese population was already settled in Tibet.

''We also have strong evidence that the Chinese population in Tibet is increasing month by month.'' The Dalai Lama also said that after the Olympics a new China town was going to be established in Western Tibet.

''This is very very serious. A cultural genocide is taking place in Tibet,'' he added.

The Dalai Lama further said this was being done intentionally and unintentionally as well.

The Chinese government has imposed a lot of strict restrictions on the monastic institutions which are very important for the Tibetan culture, he said.

''This is intentional. And the unintentional is that an overwhelming 200,000 Chinese have got settled down in Lhasa over the years while the Tibetan population stands at 100,000. The Tibetans are being forced to speak Chinese and not their mother tongue,'' the leader of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile said.

UNI AG LS DS1355