Tapontsang's tour is being funded by Wisdom Publications-the publishing arm of the Foundation for Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, and the publisher of her book. For the next two months, Tapontsang will be touring North America to tell her story.

While detailing the horrors Tapontsang claimed the Chinese inflicted on the Tibetans, however, she tried to differentiate between the Chinese communist leadership and the Chinese people.

"I want to make it clear that the Chinese are not bad, but the communist leaders led by Jiang. I see the Chinese and Tibetans as suffering under the same regime." Tapontsang said.

All of the 150 students who attended the speech stood at the end to give Tapontsang a standing ovation.

"I think a talk like Adhe's brings a world of experience that is not normally accessible to the Harvard student," said Metta McGarvey, a second-year graduate student at the Divinity School and one of the organizers of the event. "I think very few people ever read in detail about these kinds of abuses and it's even more extraordinary to meet someone who's actually gone through all this."

Some students at the event were critical of Harvard's decision to invite Jiang Zemin to speak at the University.

"I just think that Harvard is giving up its ideals and following the trend in government to give priority to politics," said Jan Vihan '98-'99.

"It's sad that Harvard supports the Chinese communist regime, following the regrettable attitude of the Clinton-Gore team," said David Heyrovsky, a graduate student.

"It's crucial that we make a strong statement to Jiang Zemin and the world at large that we are outraged at the atrocities against humanity committed by the Chinese government," said Samuel Shapiro, a student at the Divinity School. "If you're not outraged, you are not paying attention."

The members of Students for a Free Tibet, who organized Tapontsang's talk at Harvard, said that they would participate in a protest rally on Nov. 1 around Sanders Theatre when Jiang Zemin arrives at Harvard.

There will also be a hunger strike in Swedenborg Chapel between Quincy and Kirkland Streets, from 9 a.m. on Oct. 31 to 9 a.m. on Nov. 2, the duration of Jiang's visit to Boston