Ladies, gentlemen and friends,

Regarding what the media has reported about Tibet, people have expressed their concern for days. So I'd like to briefly introduce some issues and give my own personal viewpoint as well.

During the March 14 riots in Lhasa, 18 people were burned or beaten to death, more than 380 people were injured and many stores and living houses were destroyed. However, no deadly weapons were used by the authorities and the Tibetan authorities legally dealt with the entire incident. Evidence indicates that the beating, smashing, looting and burning criminal activities were plotted and incited by the Dalai's so-called "government in exile" and the "Tibetan Youth Congress". During these violent criminal incidents, rioters kept shouting the slogan of "Tibetan Independence", but it was condemned by most of the Tibetan people. The Tibet issue is not an issue of human rights, religion, or ethnics. This issue is concerned with national unity, social stability, national legal order and the fundamental interests of the Chinese people belonging to all ethnic groups. No nation would tolerate such violent crimes as beating, smashing, looting and burning.

These crimes instigated by Dalai separatist forces are aimed to create bloodshed and sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games. With support of some forces from western countries, they also have hindered the Olympic torch relay in some countries, are attempted to politicize the Olympic Games.

It should be pointed out that some western media sources have played a disgraceful role in the whole matter. Some journalists, in defiance of their basic conscience and professional ethics, distorted the facts in their reporting. By stealthily substituting one thing for another, or even framing others, or piecing pictures together, they made up false news to mislead and deceive the public. The Dalai Lama's separatist activities, his group's attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games and the unfair reports of some western media have aroused great indignation and simultaneous condemnation among all Chinese people, including those living and studying overseas.

Since the 13th century, Tibet was a part of Chinese Territory. From that time on, the Chinese central government exercised effective sovereign rights over Tibet. British colonists, having invaded Tibet, created the so-called "Tibet issue" twice and attempted to have Tibet enter the British sphere of influence at the end of 1890s and the beginning of the 1900s. Before this time there was not such word "independence" in the vocabulary of the Tibetan language. In the old Tibet under the domination of the Dalai Lama, more than 95 percent of people were serfs and slaves. Instigating the so-called "Tibet issue" was an intrigue of some forces from western countries that tried to keep China within certain geographical limits. Now, some who plotted and agitated during the Lhasa riots spouted peace and nonviolence.

However, the conspiracy using the so-called "Tibet issue" as a pawn to disrupt the Beijing Olympics, to separate China and to limit China's development will not be successful.

Here, we earnestly thank the Arabic governments and the Arabic media for their support and understanding regarding this issue.