Beijing: Accusing the Dalai Lama of instigating extremist acts in Tibet, an official daily in China on Saturday said the current spate of self-immolations threatened the social stability in the Himalayan region.
"The self-immolations have also caused grave concerns in Tibetan Buddhist circles; if not stopped they will not only cost lives but also threaten social stability as they subvert the tenets of Buddhism," China Daily said in an article.
"Dalai Lama`s separatist clique continue to instigate such extremist acts and to orchestrate violent riots in Tibetan-populated areas under the pretext of preserving Tibetan traditional culture and maintaining the freedom of Tibetan Buddhism," it said.
"Such activities pervert the ideals of Tibetan Buddhism and threaten social progress as well as the religion," it said.
So far, over 30 people have attempted suicides in Tibet and outside.
"The Dalai Lama, who likes to portray himself as an advocate of `non-violence` and Tibet`s `spiritual leader`, has failed to appeal for an end to such acts and some of his clique have hailed those who set themselves alight as `heroes`," the daily said.
It also attacked the Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile, Lobsong Sangay, for "justifying" self-immolations with "customary accusations of ethnic repression, religious persecution and cultural genocide, which they habitually use to promote their separatist agenda".
PTI
