China media blasts West, Dalai Lama

Chinese state media on Monday accused Western governments of distorting the truth about deadly clashes in Tibetan-inhabited regions, and said the Dalai Lama was "abusing his religious reputation."

China's Sichuan province -- which has big populations of ethnic Tibetans, many of whom complain of religious repression and a lack of freedom -- was rocked by three violent clashes last week that left at least three dead.

Rights groups say security forces shot dead peaceful protesters in each of the incidents but China has acknowledged only two of them, and says they were triggered by a violent crowd of demonstrators.

"It is not uncommon for some Western governments and the so-called Tibetan government-in-exile to play up and distort incidents," the state-run English language China Daily said in an editorial, referring to last week's unrest.

It also accused the "Dalai Lama" clique of hiding "its real agenda behind religion" and of being "financed and supported by some Western governments and media with their own agenda against China."

The unrest last week prompted Lobsang Sangay, head of the India-based exiled Tibetan government, to call on the international community "to not remain passive" and "to intervene to prevent further bloodshed".

The United States also said it was "seriously concerned" by the situation, calling on Chinese security forces to "exercise restraint" and urging authorities to allow journalists and diplomats into flashpoint areas.

But information about what happened is difficult to verify independently as the region was sealed off, and AFP reporters who tried to access affected areas in western Sichuan last week were turned back by police on several occasions.

The Global Times, another state-run newspaper, on Monday also accused the Dalai Lama of "abusing his religious reputation in the Tibetan areas to acquire unspeakable interests for his exile group."

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama -- a Nobel Peace Prize winner revered by many Tibetans who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule -- of trying to split Tibet from the rest of China.

He denies this and says he is only seeking greater autonomy for the Tibetan region.