China seeks to regain Tibet initiative

China moved swiftly today to place the blame for violence in Tibet on the province’s exiled former leader the Dalai Lama.

Determined to regain the upper hand with the world watching events, and with the summer Olympics looming, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao gave the country’s highest-level response yet to the protests that have cost at least 16 lives.

Mild-mannered Wen – usually portrayed as a conciliator by state media – struck an uncompromising Communist Party line on the situation.

“There is ample fact – and we also have plenty of evidence – proving that this incident was organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique,” Wen said.

“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,” he said.

He reiterated that China will consider talks with the Dalai Lama only if he is “willing to give up his proposition for so-called Tibetan independence.”

Wen also dismissed claims by the Dalai Lama that “cultural genocide” was taking place in Tibet.

From Dharmsala, India, the seat of his government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama urged Tibetans to show restraint, saying that if things got out of control, his “only option is to completely resign.”

One of his top aides later said that the Dalai Lama would resign as Tibet’s political leader and head of state because he is against violence, but would always remain its spiritual leader.

Beijing is desperate to ensure the Summer Olympics boosts its international image, rather than draw unwelcome attention to its rights record, and Wen said the protesters were targeting the Olympics.

“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,” he said.

Yesterday authorities pressed ahead with efforts to round up protesters in Lhasa.

Duoji Zeren, the vice governor of Tibet, said they “would take determined methods to capture the primary suspects” but did not give any details.

The protests, led by monks in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, began peacefully on 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.

They grew increasingly violent, with widespread street violence in Lhasa on Friday. Champa Phuntsok, Tibet’s China-appointed governor, said yesterday that the death toll from the unrest had risen to 16 and that dozens were injured. He denied a claim by the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile in India that 80 Tibetans died.

Wen said the protesters killed bystanders and smashed public utilities and cars. They also set fire to stores, he said.

“They used extremely cruel means,” Wen said. “This incident has seriously disrupted public order and life in Lhasa. This incident has inflicted heavy losses of lives and property of the people in Lhasa.”

However, he said Lhasa was returning to normal.

“The situation is quiet and calm, and Lhasa will be reopened to the rest of the world,” he said.

The city’s Communist Party office said today its markets, workplaces and schools were all back in operation.

Many residents said fewer police were patrolling the streets, although checkpoints set up by military police were still strictly enforced.