Miss Tibet, Miss China Bridge Political Gap
(Kuching | Malaysia | April 1, 2003)
Beauty queens often trot out well-worn pledges to work for world peace, but the first Miss Tibet showed there may be some truth to the line when she was seen chatting to Miss China at a pageant on Tuesday.
Dolma Tsering crossed a yawning political gulf to engage Miss China Dong Mei Xi on the sidelines of the Miss Tourism Intercontinental 2003 pageant here.
Both of them told reporters that they did not "wish to comment on any politics", but the organisers of the contest said they were happy to bring them to the same podium.
"I am happy to see Tibet and China together in this pageant. It is a success in its own way of bringing people together," said promoter Alaric Soh.
Tsering, who lives in the Indian capital New Delhi, won the title of first Miss Tibet in October in Dharamsala, where Tibet's government-in-exile has been based since a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
Friends of Tibet (INDIA),
PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050
www.friendsoftibet.org