Former vice-chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee Ragdi on Wednesday condemned some distorted news coverage that painted the bloody riot in Lhasa as a peaceful demonstration.
"Some Western media purposely distorted the facts and viciously described the severe crime as a peaceful demonstration, so as to slander our legitimate efforts to keeping social stability as violent crackdown," the Tibet-born Ragdi said at a meeting in Beijing.
In the riot erupted in Tibet's capital Lhasa on the afternoon of last Friday, violent rioters injured and even killed 13 innocent people on the street with extremely crude means.
Official figures show that the lawless people set fires at more than 300 locations, mostly private houses, stores and schools, where they also smashed vehicles and public facilities.
"Some Western media posed as hypocrites to clamorously advise the Chinese government not suppress peaceful demonstration and respect human rights," said Ragdi indignantly when speaking at the meeting of the second Counseling Committee on Development of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The bloody commotion masterminded by the Dalai clique was aimed to reinforce its compressive stress on undermining the upcoming Beijing Olympics, he said.
"Ample facts have proved that the Dalai clique premeditated the riot, aimed to disturb the social stability at such a sensitive time. The riot was maliciously incited into a bloody violence in purpose to put pressure on the Chinese government," said Ragdi.
He said the regional government has been prepared for such an secessionist activity.
"A riot would have occurred in Tibet sooner or later, if not in Lhasa," said Ragdi.
He said Tibet is at the forefront of China's battleground with secessionists organized by the Dalai clique and supported by some hostile Western powers. Repeated episodes of violence happened in Tibet between 1987 and 1988, after the 1959 rebellion also instigated by secessionists failed to secede Tibet from the motherland.
"The development of China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been constantly disturbed and damaged by secessionists," Ragdi said at the meeting.
Participants at the meeting, including officials and experts on Tibetan issues, still agreed that Tibet is at its best time of development, and urged the regional government to seek the golden opportunity to accelerate social and economic development, while maintaining stability.
The situation in Lhasa has been basically put under control after the commotion, with local businesses reopening since Tuesday. Schools, factories and government institutions have also resumed operation. The main streets in the downtown areas, which were scattered with rubbish and rocks, got busy again with buses, taxies and bicycles.
"Development is the number one task for Tibet and stability is the number one responsibility," said Ragdi.
Source:Xinhua
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