Thousands of people have fled Tibet since the 1950 Chinese invasion. It is estimated that about 120,000 exiled Tibetans live scattered throughout the world. The monk, Lowsa Pekamkanzeh, who joined a demonstration against Chinese rule in 1987, is one of them. He ended up living in the Netherlands and has been here about eight years.

In two blocks of flats in the Bijlmer, a suburb of Amsterdam, there are banners protesting against the planned location of a reception centre for drug addicts in the neighbourhood. The Tibetan monk lives in one of the flats. A sticker proclaiming "Free Tibet" adorns his front door. Inside, there are Buddhas, photos of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan garments. He remembers the late 1980s when he took part in protests against the Chinese authorities:

"The Chinese police cracked down hard. Many people were crying. I could hear machine-gun fire. That's when I ran away. I hid in a monastery for three years."

Hiding place
In the end, Mr Pekamkanzeh decided to leave his hiding place. After walking around Llasa for a while, he was picked up by the Chinese police. He spent seven years in a Chinese prison.

"Then I fled again with four others. But we got separated, and I've never seen the others again. Just like my mother. I've recently tried phoning Tibet, but it looks like she left a year ago and is probably living in Nepal. But I don't know for certain."

About 200 Tibetans live in the Netherlands at the moment. Some of them, like Tsering Tsomo Dorong, were born in exile. As a child, she lived in India where there is a large Tibetan community. She learnt the language and culture of her forefathers at a school for Tibetan exiles. Ms Tsomo Dorong is extremely concerned about the situation in Tibet:

"The protests in Tibet are a sign of frustration. Not only with China's behaviour over the last 60 years, but also with what Beijing says about the Dalai Lama. Nobody knows what will happen to the demonstrators arrested by the Chinese authorities. It's not a very hopeful situation."

Tough opposition
Opinion within the Tibetan community about the future of Tibet is divided. An increasingly large group is calling for independence. They think there should be tough opposition to the Chinese authorities. The Dalai Lama believes in the path of peace, preferring to push for Tibet to become a truly autonomous region within China, a region where the Tibetan language, culture and religion would be allowed. Ms Tsomo Dorong agrees with the Buddhist leader:

"I used to be a member of the Free Tibet group. Maybe I'm wiser now. Autonomy can be all right as well. We have to be smart and fight in a peaceful way."

Shot dead
Lowsa Pekamkanzeh follows every development in the news coming out of Tibet and, once a week, he tries to call his nephew who still lives there. Mr Pekamkanzeh:

"Chinese police are all over the streets of Tibet now. They're threatening to shoot people dead if they leave their homes. I'm worried about what the future holds for Tibet. Maybe I'll be able to go back one day. My heart's still there."

 * RNW translation (mw)