Tibetan official castigates Dalai Lama

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BEIJING, March 20 (UPI) -- A Tibetan official has characterized the protests in Tibet against Chinese rule as "cutthroat combat" between his people and supporters of the Dalai Lama.

"The cutthroat combat between us and the Dalai clique with its antagonistic supporters in some Western countries is a significant political competition for choice on separation on unification," Ragdi, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Chinese parliament, said.

The official media, which refers to the Tibetan spiritual leader and his followers as the "Dalai clique," has quoted Ragdi extensively in its Tibet reports.

Ragdi said the plot of a small number of people to sabotage the stability and harmony of Tibet will not gain public support, the state-run news agency Xinhua said.

In another report, Ragdi said the past two decades have seen peace in Tibet, jointly credited to the Chinese government and supported by the people across the country. He said this helped Tibetan people enjoy rapid economic growth, which now has become an "eyesore" for the Dalai Lama supporters who are unhappy to see common Tibetans become masters of their own lives.