US supports 'independence forces' in Tibet: Chinese official

Beijing, July 7: While the US has stated publicly that Tibet is a part of China, yet it supports "Tibet independence forces", a senior Chinese official has said.

And in an apparent reference to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the official said that some people who fled China were now working "with some external forces to destabilise China".

"Some 100 years ago the US had stated publicly that Tibet is part of China. Even now it admits that Tibet is inseparable from China," Lu Guangjin, director of the Human Rights Affairs Bureau of the Department of State Council Information Office of China, told IANS here.

"Yet the US supports Tibet independence forces," he said, clearly hinting at the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the India-based government-in-exile once headed by the Dalai Lama.

The 55-year-old Chinese official was categorical in his hour-long interaction that "some people who ran away from China are now working together with some external forces to create destabilising factors and obstruct people's lives in China.

"As I understand it, there are some external forces that provoked a small group of monks," Lu said.

He was asked to comment on the 140 people in Tibet who have self-immolated with the demand for the return of the Dalai Lama and for freedom for Tibetans.

"Such violence triggered international reaction. During that period (2008 Beijing Olympics) some Tibet independence forces attempted to obstruct the relay torch, causing anger among Chinese."

The official said even now attempts were being made to stall China's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

"Some people are creating trouble. There is an international website that supports Tibet's independence and it submitted material to the IOC (International Olympics Committee) saying China's human rights violations, particularly in Tibet, don't qualify it to host the Winter Olympics."

On the celebration of the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday, he said: "He is celebrating the birthday for a second time (July 6), this time in the US. In this, you see the influence of external factors.

"He (the Dalai Lama) is a religious leader. I won't comment on his religious doings. Yet he has a shallow political vision.

"Over the years he has always been committed to the so-called 'grand cause' of Tibet independence. For us, he's naive," added the official.

He reiterated Beijing's official line that Tibet cannot be separated from China.

According to Lu, without the intervention of external forces, the China-India relationship and the Tibet-India relationship could have been much better.

IANS