China praises India, but tells Dalai Lama to stop separatist activities

Beijing, Mar. 12 (ANI): While praising the Indian Government for cracking down on anti-Chinese activities on its soil, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has called on Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to stop indulging in separatist activities and create conducive conditions for talks with Beijing.

"The Dalai distorts the true situation in Tibet. He attacks and insults the central government's policies on Tibet to trumpet his separatist claims of independence or semi-independence," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said during a regular news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The Dalai Lama had accused the Chinese government of putting "the monks and nuns (of Tibet) in prison-like conditions", and deliberately "annihilating Buddhism" during an address to mark the 51st anniversary of his exile, in Dharamshala, on Wednesday.

The Dalai Lama also referred to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as "East Turkestan", the name given to it by separatists.

"This exposes and proves his intent of splitting up China and wrecking ethnic unity," Qin said.

"No country in the world recognizes Tibet Autonomous Region as an independent nation, nor do they acknowledge the "exiled government", he said.

The Dalai Lama's address came just four days before the second anniversary of the March 14 Lhasa riots in 2008 which left 19 dead and injured over 400 people. (ANI)