China yesterday denounced Tibetan separatists for disrupting the Olympic torch relay in London and Paris, saying their "despicable" behavior has defiled the Olympic spirit and defied people who love the Games.

"We strongly condemn the deliberate disruptions of the Olympic torch relay by Tibetan separatist forces in total disregard for the Olympic spirit and the law of Britain and France," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu yesterday in a press release.

The Beijing Olympics is a shared event for people worldwide, as is the torch relay, Jiang said, adding the separatists' "despicable activities tarnished the lofty Olympic spirit and challenged all people who love the Olympic Games around the world".

She dismissed some reports in foreign media that the Olympic torch was forcibly extinguished during its relay in Paris, saying only the modes of the relay were temporarily changed to protect the security and dignity of the torch.

Dalai Lama a liar

At a press briefing in the afternoon, Jiang also said the Dalai Lama has proved with his own actions that his claim to be the embodiment of "peace" and "non-violence" is nothing but a lie.

She made the remark when asked to comment on the Dalai Lama's recent claim that he is sticking to his "middle path" approach and is not seeking independence for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama is the chief representative of the darkest slavery in human history, a period that had no democracy, freedom or human rights, Jiang said, adding that only serf owners could enjoy special privileges under the system at the time.

The "middle path" approach that the Dalai Lama is pursuing is aimed at restoring his own "paradise of the past", which will throw millions of liberated serfs back into that dark age, Jiang said. "Who can accept such a 'middle path'?"

People should judge the Dalai Lama based not on what he says but what he does, she added.

In another development, Chinese human rights experts said yesterday the recent Amnesty International report that assailed China's human rights record aimed to "create hurdles for China's peaceful development".

Chen Shiqiu, the China Society for Human Rights Studies vice-chairman, said at a seminar some Western countries "always observe China through tainted glasses, and they are unwilling and uncomfortable to see the country's rapid development".

(China Daily/Xinhua April 9, 2008)