An estimated 6 hundred million yuan [US$75 million] worth of animal skins have been burnt in the eastern Tibet alone.

These events are significant for us as they show the world and especially to China that Tibetans all over listen to the Dalai Lama and are willing to make sacrifices if he wishes so.

We were totally free to hang out anywhere and no one noticed us. We were not even worth a dot of ink on a page in the local newspaper. It was great to just go out and have a beer with no major hoopla.

We have filed a proposal for some US$3 billion worth of machinery and Japan has agreed as long as the government is willing to guarantee (the loan).

But if it helps the project to be completed quicker, it's worth the cost to us.

Now they see we are worth something, they care about us.