CHINA:AS CHINA tightened its grip on Tibet, its premier Wen Jiabao launched a vitriolic attack against the Dalai Lama, accusing the exiled Tibetan leader of orchestrating last week's riots and of trying to wreck the Beijing Olympics.
Addressing the unrest in Tibet during his annual news conference to mark the end of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, Mr Wen abandoned his usual smiling demeanour as he painted a picture of China that was more sinned against than sinner regarding the current crisis in Tibet.
As he spoke, Chinese forces locked Lhasa down. A witness contacted by phone said the city was quiet after a midnight deadline ended days of unrest that reportedly left scores dead in the Tibetan capital.
In a move underlining a carefully developed image of a peaceful power, Mr Wen also called for talks with long-time foe Taiwan. China considers Taiwan an inalienable part of its territory since Chiang Kai-shek's losing Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) fled there after the civil war in 1949. The unrest has triggered a significant stepping up of security in China in areas where ethnic groups are seeking greater autonomy.
There were reports of heavy weaponry being loaded on to cargo aircraft destined for Tibet and the restive province of Xinjiang, where separatist Muslims were recently involved in plots to undermine the Olympics. Troops are being deployed in large numbers in trouble spots.
Speaking from Dharamsala, India, the seat of his government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama urged Tibetans to show restraint.
He added that if things got out of control, his "only option is to completely resign" as political leader. Monks led pro-independence protests in Lhasa and nearby Chinese provinces where many Tibetans lived, the biggest demonstrations in 20 years in Tibet and the most potent assault on the Communist Party since the massacre of pro-democracy activists around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
"There is ample fact - and we also have plenty of evidence - proving that this incident was organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique. 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," Mr Wen said.
China's international reputation has suffered for its violent response to the unrest, jeopardising the goodwill the Beijing government has generated in the run up to the summer games. Tibetan campaigners say hundreds may have died in the unrest. The Chinese government puts the number at 16.
China sees itself as a victim in the upheaval,calling the rioters vandals and focusing on the way that frustrated Lhasa residents turned their anger on ethnic Han Chinese settlers and Muslims, burning down shops and a mosque.
As far as Mr Wen was concerned, the attacks were an attempt by the Dalai Lama to bring China's name into disrepute and politicise the Olympics, something which China fiercely resists. However, he acknowledged that China faced problems in organising the games, particularly in areas such as controlling pollution.
"We are still a developing country and it's inevitable that we may have some problems when organising the Olympics. They wanted to incite the sabotage of the Olympic Games in order to achieve their unspeakable goal."
The Dalai Lama has rejected growing calls for a boycott of the games, saying it would achieve nothing. The Dalai Lama, who went into exile in India in 1959, also denied Chinese accusations that he incited the rioting.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has said there have been no calls for a boycott. The world's highest profile pro-Tibetan independence campaigner, the actor Richard Gere, said it would be "unconscionable" to attend the Beijing Games if China did not find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
China's line is very much that of the wounded party.
"To host an Olympics is a dream shared by people of many generations in this country. I also hope that by hosting the Olympics we will be able to further friendships and co-operation with people from all over the world," Mr Wen said.
Accusations that China has embarked on a crackdown on dissent in the run up to the games were unfounded, he continued. He made his remarks on the same day as prominent dissident Hu Jia went on trial in Beijing on charges of subverting state power.
Turning to self-ruled Taiwan, Mr Wen said: "We hope to resume peace talks across the Straits as soon as possible under the one-China principle. Any questions can be addressed, including such major issues as ending the hostile state between the two sides."
The island goes to the polls on Saturday and the KMT, which has a more pro-mainland stance than President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is tipped to win.
Mr Wen's call for talks was dismissed by the pro-independence DPP, who denounced him for interfering in Taiwanese democracy.