The power of religion and belief was often used to further the political ambitions of kings and emperors. Even in modern times, religious shrines and the faithful can still be used by those with ulterior motives, says a commentary of Xinhua News Agency. The following is an excerpt:

Such as those who instigated the turmoil in Lhasa last Friday, in which the rioters killed and attacked innocent civilians, set fires and destroyed public facilities.

The mobs, with stones and flammable liquids, were ready to kill, sabotage and trigger public fear.

There could be only one real purpose for the riots: to separate the Tibet autonomous region from China.

The Dalai Lama and his followers claim that the events were "spontaneous" and "peaceful". But there is no other way to explain the coincidences - they were premeditated and organized.

A group of monks started a "March to Tibet" across the border in India, on exactly the same day that 300 aggressive monks from the Drepung Monastery paraded into downtown Lhasa.

When similar turmoils occur in parts of China, mobs attack Chinese diplomatic missions overseas.

Clearly the Dalai Lama clique was using the same old trick, putting their anti-China stance under the guise of religion, when they allegedly tried to defend Tibet from so-called "cultural genocide" and "religious repression".

But Ngawang Daindzin, a living Buddha makes it clear, the rioters who wore cassocks were not real monks, and what they did was completely against Buddhist codes.

If the Dalai Lama really wants to be worthy of his self-proclaimed title of spiritual leader, he should at least stop abusing the power of religion.

And if he really loves his homeland and his fellow Tibetans, he should not have allowed the disruption of the peaceful Buddhist holy city.

Even children were victims.

My heart ached when I read that more than 20 knife-wielding mobs set fire to a school in Lhasa after failing to break into the campus on Friday. More than 800 teenage students huddled together in fear of losing their lives. I have no idea how long the painful memory will cling to these children, Tibetans and Hans alike.

The Dalai Lama's hypocrisy has put the power of his religion at stake, but he cannot cheat all of the people all of the time. Buddhism is no harbor for separatism.

(China Daily March 21, 2008)