Nearly 600 Tibetans, who camefrom around their world to the their government's home in exile inIndia are proclaiming with one voice they will not allow China toswallow their identity.
As they concluded their six-daymeeting here, the Tibetans stood to sing their national anthemperformed by schoolgirls playing flutes and young men banging drums.
Butthere were discordant notes. Officials say while a majority pledged tofollow their spiritual leader on whatever path he chooses, otherswanted to take a stronger stand.
The meeting's declarationreaffirms support for the Dalai Lama's middle way approach for autonomywithin China - a strategy that even he has called a failure.
A significant minority wanted a shift to pursuit of independence.
"Wehad hoped we would revert to our original goal of independence becausewhen we first came into exile in 1959 our main goal was independenceand then go back," said Tsewan Ringzin, the president of the TibetanYouth Congress.
Leaders of the government in exile say ifChina does not respond positively to their requests for meaningfulautonomy then a future special meeting could demand independence.
Deputyparliament speaker Doma Gyari says, in the meantime, the frustrateddelegates have made it clear there should be no further Tibetan-Sinotalks for now.
"We have decided that we will not send the envoys forfurther contact," she said.
One of the meeting's subcommitteechairs, Lobsang Sangay, a senior fellow of the Harvard Law School inthe United States, is holding out hope talks could resume.
"A door isstill open based on His Holiness' view of middle path," he said.
The decisions made Saturday are recommendations to the parliament in exile which meets again in four months.
TheDalai Lama called for the unprecedented meeting but did not attend orissue a recommendation, saying he did not want to influence the debate.
Some Tibetans contend the meeting was a waste of time becauseit will not affect the decades-long struggle against Chinese rule.
Bookshopowner Lhasang Tsering was one of the last of the CIA-financed exileTibetan fighters in the 1970s, who were based in Nepal.
"Thepeople inside Tibet have voted for freedom with their lives," he said."In my humble view nobody can vote more clearly than to vote with theirlives. Here, it's a question of putting a piece of paper in a tin box."
China, in remarks before the special meeting here, also calledthe conclave irrelevant. It accused the Dalai Lama and his followers ofusing the conference as part of their ongoing plot to grab one-fourthof China's territory. Beijing contends Tibet historically is a part ofChina.