Sufficient evidence showed that the March 14 Lhasa violence was part of the "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" plotted by the Dalai Lama clique, according to the spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security.

The "movement" aimed to create a crisis in China by staging coordinated sabotage activities in Tibet, Wu Heping told a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that police have captured the primary suspects who allegedly organized, planned and participated in the violence on March 14 in Tibet Autonomous Region capital.

"The suspects are closely connected with the Dalai clique," he said.

The capture had led to the exposure of a network operated by an official from the "security ministry" of the Dalai Lama clique, according to Wu.

He said that local police in Lhasa had captured a key individual who was directly related to the Lhasa violence.

"The suspect has confessed to his part in organizing, planning and implementing the Lhasa violence on March 14, inspired by an official of the Dalai clique," Wu said.

"We now have sufficient evidence to show the March 14 Lhasa violence was part of the 'Tibetan People's Uprising Movement', a scheme by the Dalai clique," he said.

According to Wu, seven Tibetan separatist organizations -- the "Tibetan Youth Congress", the "Tibetan Women's Association", "Students for a Free Tibet", the "Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet", the "National Democratic Party of Tibet", the "International Tibet Support Network" and the "Tibetan Writers Organization" -- held press conferences in New Delhi, India in January, when they issued the so-called "Declaration of Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" and then posted it on the Internet.

The so-called "declaration" claims that the "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" is "a global movement of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet" who aim to "create a crisis for China by awakening and coordinating actions in Tibet", Wu said.

"They threatened to launch the 'Tibetan People's Uprising Movement' both inside and outside Tibet, if the Chinese government failed to meet their demands by March 10, 2008," he said.

"The purpose of the Dalai clique's staging of the so-called 'Tibetan People's Uprising Movement' is to disrupt public order and exert pressure on the Chinese government on the occasion of the Olympic Games to realize its ultimate aim of splitting China," Wu said.

"'Tibet independence' forces led by the Dalai Lama have taken the 2008 Beijing Olympics as their last chance to realize their goal by inventing plans to boycott the Games," he said.

"It is a serious violation of the spirit of the Olympic Charter and a desecration to the world's peace-loving people."

He stressed that a series of recent incidents made it clear that the so-called "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" was nothing but a creed of illegality for the "Tibet independence" separatist forces.

Wu listed a series of recent events that showed the attempt of the Dalai Lama and his backers to split China:

-- On March 10, the Dalai clique held a rally in Dharamsala, India to commemorate the anniversary of the so-called "Tibet uprising" in 1959. Dalai, Samdhong and other important figures in the Dalai clique spoke at the rally.

Soon thereafter, organizations including the "Tibetan Youth Congress" held a launch ceremony for the "Peaceful March to Tibet".

-- Since March 10, there have been violent attacks on 18 overseas diplomatic missions of China by "Tibet Independence" separatists and those with international "Tibet support" organizations.

-- On March 10, a group of monks from the Zhaibung and Sera monasteries in Lhasa rushed out of their temples or rallied on the square, waving flags and shouting slogans for "Tibet Independence".

-- On March 14, criminal violence took place in Lhasa that left 18 innocent civilians dead.

This is exactly the so-called plan of the "Uprising Day" plotted by the "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" and it was carried out exactly in line with the plan set by the movement, the spokesman said.

He said that the Dalai clique had recently planned and organized activities around the world to support "Tibet Independence", such as "Support Tibet" and "Global Action Day".

"Their next plan is to organize suicide squads to launch violent attacks, according to our investigation," Wu said, "They even claimed that they fear neither bloodshed nor sacrifice."

The Dalai Lama has continued claiming that he was expressing opinions in a peaceful way, Wu said. Facts, however, showed that his "middle way" policy and "peaceful demonstrations" were "naked lies".

Wu hoped people worldwide would remain vigilant against the activities organized by the Dalai clique and the "Tibet Independence" separatists.

"We firmly believe that lies can never cover truth, and that facts will eventually expose the true intention of the Dalai clique to split the country," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2008)