They lobby everywhere with distorted facts in order to obtain sympathy and support from people who know little about the truth to seek Tibet independence, the chairman said.

"No matter what tricks the Dalai and its clique use, Tibetan people's strong will to oppose separation and safeguard the country's unity will not change," he said.

Wednesday marks the 53rd anniversary of the emancipation of 1 million serfs following the central government's democratic reform in Tibet on March 28, 1959.

Local authorities have held various activities to mark the occasion and more are expected on Wednesday.

"March 28, 1959 is the watershed between the old and new Tibet. History will forever remember the glorious day," Padma Choling said.

Tibet has achieved an all-around economic and social growth over the past decades and people from all nationalities now share the fruits of reform, he said.

Tibet's gross domestic product climbed to 60.6 billion yuan (9.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011, 94 times more than the level in 1959.

During the same period, Tibet's population more than doubled to 3.03 million in 2011, 90.5 percent of whom are Tibetans. In addition, the life expectancy in Tibet nearly doubled to 67 years old from 35.5 years old in 1959.

The political rights, religious freedom, traditional culture and ecological system in Tibet also are respected or protected, Padma Choling said.

"Only by resolutely safeguarding the country's unity and opposing separation can Tibet achieve the leap-forward development and long-lasting security," he said.