Tibetans report new protests in China

BEIJING, March 24 (UPI) -- Fresh Tibetan protests against Chinese rule were reported in western China even as Beijing claimed life was returning to normal in other areas.

New protests, set off by the March 10 demonstrations in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, were staged in a Tibetan county of Qinghai province, the Voice of America reported Monday, quoting the Indian-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy.

The People's Daily, the Chinese Communist party's powerful mouthpiece, said Saturday the government must "resolutely crush the conspiracy of sabotage and smash" the "Tibet independence forces."

China, meanwhile, cited more examples of what it said are examples of biased reporting by the Western media on Tibet.

Separately, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that Tibetan mountaineers, challenging the "Dalai clique," have vowed to ensure the Tibet leg of the Olympic Games torch relay would go as planned, including taking it to the summit of Mount Everest in May.

The "Dalai clique" refers to followers of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India.

China has persisted in blaming the Dalai Lama for "masterminding" the Tibetan protests. The Tibetan leader has denied it and wants China to resume negotiations on Tibet.

A group of nearly 30 Chinese dissidents urged Beijing to open direct talks with the Dalai Lama and to allow foreign media and United Nations investigators into Tibet, the VOA reported.