Tibet is an inseparable part of China’s “sacred” territory, and religious figures should promote national unity and ethnic harmony, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) said during a rare visit to the China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950 in what China officially terms a peaceful liberation and Beijing has ruled it with an iron fist ever since.
It is one of Beijing’s most sensitive territorial issues and has been hit by repeated anti-Chinese protests, although the region has been fairly quiet since the last large-scale demonstrations in 2008.
Li visited Tibet from Wednesday to Friday last week and went to two major sites connected to Tibetan Buddhism, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.
At the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, which was damaged by a fire in February, Li inspected a monument dating back to the eighth century that marks an alliance between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, Xinhua said.
“Since ancient times Tibet has been an inseparable part of the sacred territory of the motherland,” the report cited Li as saying in front of the monument.
Li said he hoped that religious figures could protect national unity and make contributions to ethnic harmony.
The report made no mention of the fire.
Li also went to the city’s Potala Palace, which, like the Jokhang Temple, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was once home to the Dalai Lama.
The current Dalai Lama fled into exile to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. China accuses him of being a dangerous separatist, although he has said that he only seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet.
He remains widely revered in all Tibetan parts of China.
Li said he hoped Tibet could safeguard national unity and maintain lasting peace and stability, Xinhua added.
Senior Chinese leaders only rarely visit Tibet, due to security and climatic considerations, as Tibet sits high above sea level and has thin air.
Rights groups have said that the situation for ethnic Tibetans in the region remains extremely difficult.
China routinely denies charges from rights groups and exiles of repression and says its rule ended serfdom and brought prosperity to what was a backward region, and that it fully respects the rights of Tibetans.
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