Dalai Lama wants to sour Olympics: China

BEIJING—Premier Wen Jiabao accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating violent clashes to taint the Beijing Olympics, saying Tuesday that the Nobel Peace laureate was provoking violence to promote Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama urged his followers to remain peaceful, saying he would resign as head of Tibet’s government-in-exile if the situation spun out of control. But he also suggested the Chinese may have fomented the protests in Tibet and neighboring provinces in order to discredit him.
In China’s highest-level response to the unrest, Wen underscored the Communist leadership’s determination to regain control of Tibet and nearby parts of China and reassure the world it is fit to host the Games. “There is ample fact — and we also have plenty of evidence — proving that this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique,” Wen told reporters at his annual news conference at the end of China’s national legislative session.
“This has all the more revealed that the consistent claims made by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence but peaceful dialogue are nothing but lies,” Wen said. “By staging that incident they want to undermine the Beijing Olympics Games, and they also try to serve their hidden agenda by inciting such incidents,” said Wen, who is portrayed as a mild-mannered conciliator by state media.
The Lhasa protests, led by monks, began peacefully March 10 on the anniversary of a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule. Tibet had been effectively independent for decades before Chinese Communist troops entered in 1950. The increasingly violent demonstrations in Lhasa, led by Tibetan Buddhist monks, left 16 people dead and injured dozens, according to the government. The unrest spread into neighboring provinces with large Tibetan populations. China has denied a claim by the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile in India that 80 Tibetans died.
The protests have focused world attention on China’s human rights record ahead of the Beijing Olympics. The Communist government wants to ensure that the Aug. 8-24 games boost its international image. Sports officials from the European Union, Russia, the United States and Australia, have ruled out an Olympic boycott. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday, however, that the EU should consider boycotting the opening ceremony if violence continues in Tibet.—Agencies

Islamabad condemns bid to subvert Olympics

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan has said that any attempts to politicize and subvert the Beijing Olympic Games would be opposed. In response to a question about Beijing Olympics and violence in Tibet, the Spokesman Foreign Office said the Olympic Games are the most important sports event for all the people around the world.
The Olympic spirit embodies the commitment of the host country and its people towards peaceful development, harmonious society and people’s happiness, he said this in a statement issued here on Tuesday. Pakistan, the Spokesman Foreign Office added, opposes any attempts to politicize and subvert the Beijing Olympic Games.

—Agencies