clipped from www.nytimes.com

Curbs on Protest in Tibet Lashed by Dalai Lama

DHARAMSALA, India — The Dalai Lama accused China on Sunday of waging “cultural genocide” against his followers in Tibet and called for an international inquiry into the suppression of protests there, his strongest defense to date of Tibetan Buddhists who have staged an uprising against Chinese rule.

Aides to the Dalai Lama said they had confirmed 80 killings on March 13 and 14 in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, including 26 victims killed just outside Drapchi prison. Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala said they had also received news that at least two Buddhist monks had set themselves afire in protest. The claims could not be independently confirmed. China says the death toll in the recent unrest is much lower.