The Dalai Clique and its supporters always claim that the recent tragic event in Lhasa on March 14 was caused by the Chinese Government's repression of Tibetans and destruction of their religion and culture. Is this really true? There is a Chinese saying "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened ; heed only one side and you will be benighted ". Facts speak louder than words, so let us look at the truth.  

1. Are Tibetans repressed by the Chinese Government?

The Dalai clique has repeatedly claimed that the "peaceful demonstrations "in Lhasa on March 14 were suppressed by the Chinese force which had caused 40 people died.

However the fact is that on March 14 in Lhasa 18 innocent people were burned or slashed to death by the rioters, including a baby less than one year old; 382 innocent people were injured, including 58 severely injured; more than 1300 shops were burn down or destroyed by the rioters. These were serious crimes of violence, causing great losses of life and property, with a direct economic loss of nearly RMB 280 million. No responsible government will sit idly by in the face of such violent crimes. On March 14, the authority of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercised maximum restraint, and strictly abided by the law in stopping the criminal activities and no lethal weapons were used, such kind of restraint has resulted in 241 law enforcement personnel injured, including 23 severely injured and one person killed.

2. Is the Lhasa riots caused by Han-Tibetan tension?

Facing with the undeniable fact of serious crimes of violence, the Dalai clique therefore claimed that the above tragedy was the outburst of deep resentment against the suppression of Tibetans by Han chauvinism.

Let us look at the fact again. During the Lhasa riots on March 14, among 18 innocent people killed by rioters, one is Tibetan girl; among 7 schools set fire by rioters, there are many Tibetan students; not mentioning one Tibetan doctor of the regional People's Hospital was hurt severely by rebuffling the demand of the mob to hand over a six-year-old Han boy, and one old Tibetan has helped more than 100 people being threatened hide at his home to escape the riots. These obviously cannot be explained by the Han-Tibetan tension.

The large majority of Tibetans support the democratic reform policy carried out by the Central Government since 1959, which thanks to the support of the Central Government and people across China, has brought a 12% annual growth rate in the past years that is higher than the average growth rate of other parts of China. The population has increased from 1.2 million in 1964 to the present 2.5 million, among which Tibetans account for 95% of total number of people in Tibet and the average life expectancy has increased from 35.5 to 67 years. The Tibetan religion and culture has been preserved and rescued. The Central Government has invested RMB 300 million for the maintenance of more than 1400 temples and monasteries, and has appropriated RMB 330 million in special funds to the 2nd phase of Potala Palace maintenance project, and refurbishment of Norbu Lingka and the Sagya Monastery since 2001. The Tibetan language has become China's first ethnic minority language in international standard, and the Tibetan Tripitaka was published in 2004 with an investment of RMB more than tens of millions by the Central Government over 10 years.

The people dissatisfied with the existing system in Tibet are the Dalai Clique and its followers who had lost their privileges in the old Tibet of feudal serfdom. They said 2008 would be their last chance to pursue their own interests; therefore they organized the riots to exert pressure on the Chinese Government.

3. What do Dalai and his supporters want?

Dalai and his supporters have claimed repeatedly that they would pursue the so-called "middle way" and that they no longer insist on "Tibet independence" but only seek "true autonomy" in Tibet. What is Dalai's so-called "true autonomy" then?

After fleeing China, Dalai established a so-called "government-in-exile" and posed himself as so-called "head of state". The "government-in-exile" has a "national flag" and a "constitution", which makes an explicit call for the creation of a "federal democratic republic". Dalai has called for the establishment of a "greater Tibet" that accounts for a quarter of the total area of China including not only Tibet, but the Tibetan-inhabited areas in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces. There was never such a "greater Tibet" in China' history. According to Dalai, the Han and other ethnic groups must leave this "greater Tibet", the Central Government must not station troops there, and issues related to external relations must be handled by "greater Tibet" itself. It is obvious that in calling for such "true autonomy", Dalai is seeking nothing but "Tibet independence".

4. Will boycotting the Beijing Olympic Games help solve the issue in Tibet?

Dalai said he supported China to host the Olympics. However, his supporters are sabotaging the Olympic torch relay now and have threatened to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

A number of politicians in some countries urge the Chinese Government to dialogue with Dalai. That is exactly what the Chinese Government has been doing. Since 1979, the Chinese Government has received more than 20 delegations sent by Dalai, Dalai's brothers, sisters and other close relatives included. Since 2002, the top officials from relevant Chinese Authorities have met Dalai's representatives six times, introducing the ethnic policies of the Central Government and arranging tours for Dalai's representatives to Tibet and other ethnic minority autonomous regions in China. The Chinese Government's policy for dialogue is consistent and patient. The reason why dialogues have achieved little progress is that Dalai sticks to his stance of practical "Tibet independence". Our door to dialogue was open in the past and is still open now. The problem is that Dalai and his followers have chosen violence instead of dialogue. If they change their mind and stop the activities aimed at splitting China, particularly his current activities of instigating and plotting violent crimes and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games, we will continue contact and talks with them.

A phenomenon is telling, though not fully covered by the western media as it deserves. In the very recent Olympics torch relay in London and Paris, thousands of citizens crowded to the streets to welcome the torch. The Olympic torch belongs to all Human being. We wish Dalai could appeal to his supporters to stop disruption of the Olympic torch relay, and let people around the world share the joy of the Olympic Games, which is their basic rights.

Wang Wenbin,

Charge d'Affaires ad interim

of the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius