"Quite apart from the current process of Sino-Tibetan dialogue havingachieved no concrete results, there has been a brutal crackdown on the Tibetanprotests that have shaken the whole of Tibet since March last year. Therefore,in order to solicit public opinion as to what future course of action we shouldtake, the Special Meeting of Tibetan exiles was convened in November 2008.Efforts were made to collect suggestions, as far as possible, from the Tibetansin Tibet as well. The outcome of this whole process was that a majority ofTibetans strongly supported the continuation of the Middle-Way policy.Therefore, we are now pursuing this policy with greater confidence and willcontinue our efforts towards achieving a meaningful national regional autonomyfor all Tibetans. From time immemorial, the Tibetan and Chinese peoples havebeen neighbours. In future too, we will have to live together. Therefore, it ismost important for us to co-exist in friendship with each other. Since theoccupation of Tibet, Communist China has been publishing distortedpropaganda about Tibet and its people. Consequently, there are, among theChinese populace, very few people who have a true understanding about Tibet. Itis, in fact, very difficult for them to find the truth. There are alsoultra-leftist Chinese leaders who have, since last March, been undertaking ahuge propaganda effort with the intention of setting the Tibetan and Chinesepeoples apart and creating animosity between them. Sadly, as a result, anegative impression of Tibetans has arisen in the minds of some of our Chinesebrothers and sisters. Therefore, as I have repeatedly appealed before, I wouldlike once again to urge our Chinese brothers and sisters not to be swayed bysuch propaganda, but, instead, to try to discover the facts about Tibetimpartially, so as to prevent divisions among us. Tibetans should also continueto work for friendship with the Chinese people. Looking back on 50 years inexile, we have witnessed many ups and downs. However, the fact that the Tibetissue is alive and the international community is taking growing interest in itis indeed an achievement. Seen from this perspective, I have no doubt that thejustice of Tibet's cause will prevail, if we continue to tread the path of truthand non-violence."