TIBET:China's Communist Party has launched a political education drive in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, still tense after independence protests last month, and Beijing has made clear its determination to defeat the Dalai Lama and "his clique's splittist plots".
According to the party organ Tibet Daily, cadres in Lhasa and surrounding areas will have to take part in an education drive called: "Oppose splittism, Protect stability, Encourage development". The programme would focus on "unifying the thinking and cohesive strength of officials and the masses and deepening the struggle against separatism." The two-month campaign will feature denunciation sessions and TV programmes, while cadres and officials would be assessed on their "performance".
The drive is the latest in a series of measures aimed at reasserting Chinese control in Tibet, which was undermined by monk-led protests against government control and subsequent rioting on March 14th.
There has been a huge military build-up in the area and in surrounding Tibetan territories and foreign media are still largely barred from entering.
Beijing operates a number of similar campaigns already, and they are believed to have been partially responsible for driving Tibetan monks out on to the streets on the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising, during which the Dalai Lama fled to India.
Last weekend saw angry ordinary Chinese take to the streets to denounce the Dalai Lama, what they see as biased media coverage of the riots and to condemn anti-Olympic demonstrations.
They have also urged boycotts of the French supermarket chain Carrefour because President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was considering not going to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, while a strongly worded commentary on CNN has also raised hackles.
China says the recent unrest in Tibetan areas is the work of a "clique" of the Dalai Lama's followers pushing for independence and trying to wreck the Beijing Olympics in August.
There had been plans to re-open the Himalayan territory to tourists from May 1st but they appear to have been shelved, although the government said Tibet's "opening up strategy" would continue as normal and tourists would be allowed in soon.
Chinese media have made much of the demonstrations, but there are fears that anti-western anger, despite tacit approval, could ultimately undermine the games and the China Youth Dailywarned that protests against western targets could spoil the country's image ahead of the Olympics.
