Phünwang's political goal was to see an independent and united Tibet, and to achieve a fundamental transformation of Tibet's feudal social structures.

The free-Tibet movement: The Tibetan cause has won the sympathy of individuals and groups, many of whom campaign for an independent Tibet.

Tibetan parliamentarians demanded the restoration of a free and independent Tibet based on the principles of democracy and justice, he said.

The Dalai Lama refused any Chinese title, and declared himself ruler of an independent Tibet.

Their stand is not explicitly political, but the strands of secular and religious commitment to an independent Tibet, led by the Dalai Lama, are closely woven.

The struggle for an independent or far more autonomous Tibet attracts attention and sympathy.

If Berlin, Prague and Warsaw want to recognise an independent Tibet, that's their prerogative.

He even holds hope for an independent Tibet someday.

Despite persistent questioning, the Dalai Lama would not say whether he still favored an independent Tibet, a status that he had demanded for many years.

There were 6,254 monasteries in independent Tibet when China invaded in 1951.