Overseas Chinese have strongly condemned the recent riots in Tibet, capital city of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, which were instigated by exiled Dalai Lama.

The Overseas Chinese Association in Cote d'Ivoire said in a communique that the newsreel of the riots has shown that the Dalai Lama is not a mere religious figure but an exiled politician engaged in activities of separating China.

The communique said the overseas Chinese in the western African country firmly support the Chinese government's efforts in restoring social stability in Tibet and safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Czech-China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association and other seven other overseas Chinese associations said that they will not tolerate criminal violence and strongly support the necessary efforts made by the Chinese government in safeguarding national unity, maintaining social stability in Tibet and opposing separating activities for Tibet independence. They also asked the Chinese government to punish those criminals according to law.

Zhou Guangming, honorary chairman of the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, said he was outraged when watching the Lhasa riots on TV.

The incident was collaborated by the Dalai clique and some certain people who have ulterior motives, Zhou said, adding that they wanted to make trouble before the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games with the intention of splitting China.

It is absolutely correct for the Chinese government to put down the riots in accordance with the rule of law, he said.

In the aftermath of the Lhasa riots, some Westerners made wanton and even discriminated remarks about the riots, which Zhou said were incorrect.

They went even further when trying to politicize the Beijing Olympics and boycott it, Zhou said.

Overseas Chinese firmly support the measures taken by the Chinese government to maintain stability in Lhasa, he added.

Lu Junhong, vice president of the Australian Chinese Community Association, said that the Chinese government should punish the rioters in a stern way and safeguard national stability.

He said the overseas Chinese have the obligation and duty to tell the truth about the riots to the people of the countries where they reside so that they would not be influenced by distorted reports defaming China.

Overseas Chinese wholeheartedly support China's peaceful reunification efforts and will never allow any move to split China to happen, Lu said.

Zhang Zhiguang, chairman of the China-Bulgaria chamber of commerce, said the Lhasa riots were organized, premeditated, plotted and incited by the elements seeking "Tibet's independence."

The incident caused severe damage to the lives and property of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet, he said.

If the Chinese government had indulged the rioters' ferocious acts, it would have been impossible for it to guarantee the normal social order and the peaceful life of the people there, he said.

Zhang hailed the Chinese government's move to reveal the true facts about the incident and rebut some unfounded foreign media reports and evil-intentioned accusations.

He said Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory in history, adding that any attempt to split China will fail.

"The Chinese businessmen in Bulgaria are firmly committed to our home country's reunification and territorial integrity, supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to attain the goal, and hope that the riots will not affect the upcoming Beijing Olympics," Zhang said.

In addition, BBC China's website and Singtao Daily's European edition also covered the truth of the Lhasa riots, quoting China's Xinhua news agency.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2008)