China says Tibet rioters trying to wreck Olympics

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating riots in Tibet in which dozens may have died and said his followers were trying to "incite sabotage" of Beijing's August Olympic Games.

"There is ample fact and plenty of evidence proving this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," Wen told a news conference.

"This has all the more revealed the consistent claims by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence but peaceful dialogue are nothing but lies."

Monk-led anti-China protests in Lhasa, the biggest in almost two decades, turned ugly on Friday, weighing uncomfortably on the Communist leadership anxious to polish its image in the build-up to the Olympic Games.

Wen said the protesters "wanted to incite the sabotage of the Olympic Games in order to achieve their unspeakable goal."

Asked to comment, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "In fact, what the international community should concern itself with and should ask about is precisely what role and function he played in this serious incident of criminal violence involving fighting, smashing, looting and arson.

From the lay man's view, from what the Chinese side said it has some truth in it. becoz the protests were well planned from India, Nepal to China. Even in some western capitals...there are protests supported by westerners. That is the reason why the peaceful protests got out of control. Some of the protesters were playing up to the gallery...for the "ang mos" to see.

To me....there is a huge different between the protests in Tibet and those in Burma. One is playing to the ang mo's gallery...while the other is for the daily livelihood's of the people. Those living in Tibet now are better off than those in Burma....that goes without saying.