March 22, 2008 Chinese Media Call
for 'Crushing'
of Tibetan 'Conspiracy'
Beijing
China's flagship media Saturday moved into high gear against those
opposing Chinese rule in Tibet, saying the "Tibet independence"
forces must be "resolutely crushed".
The demand, delivered in a commentary published by the People's
Daily newspaper, came after the official Xinhua news agency said the
death toll in violent demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet
had risen to 19, and more than 600 people were injured.
The report only included Chinese caught up in violence by Tibetans
and gave no information about the number of Tibetan protestors
killed or wounded. Exiled Tibetans put the number of dead at nearer
100.
The People's Daily commentary said: "We must see through the
secessionist forces' evil intentions, uphold the banners of
maintaining social stability, safeguard the socialist legal system
and protect people's fundamental interests, and resolutely crush the
'Tibet independence' forces' conspiracy and sabotaging activities so
as to foster a favorable social environment for reform and
development and for people's happiness and welfare."
Repeating earlier Chinese government claims, it said that "evidence"
showed the Tibetan resistance was "masterminded by the Dalai Lama
clique with the vicious intention of undermining the upcoming
Olympics and splitting Tibet from the motherland."
A spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile in the northern
Indian town of Dharamsala denied the Dalai Lama was behind the
protests.
"The protests were not coordinated, so no one had any control over
them," he said. "We regret that they became violent. The Dalai Lama
has always been against violence."
On Friday, Chinese police said for the first time said they shot
protesters during violent Tibet-related unrest in the southwestern
province of Sichuan.
Police opened fire in self-defence during unrest last Sunday in the
town of Aba, where members of China's Tibetan minority live, Xinhua
said, citing police sources.
As of Friday, 183 demonstrators had turned themselves in at Lhasa,
Xinhua reported.
On Saturday, authorities estimated damage from the violence at 244
million Yuan ($35 million).
Tibetan exile sources and witnesses have been reporting that China
has sent military convoys into Tibet and neighboring provinces, amid
reports these include People's Liberation Army troops, despite
Beijing saying the convoys included only paramilitary armed police.
The sources said military units that had reached Lhasa had changed
the insignia on their vehicles in order to disguise the fact that
they were regular troops.
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