More living buddhas voiced their strong condemnations on Friday over sabotage activities in Tibetan-populated areas from last Friday onwards, and said the unrest has seriously disrupted religious orders.

"The sabotage activities disturbed our religious culture, services and the order in the lamaseries," said Jamyang Losang Jigme Tubdain Qoigyi Nyima, a living buddha and vice-president of the Tibetan Chapter of the Buddhist Association of China.

"Ethnicity and religion were their only deceitful camouflage. Their real motive was to disturb social stability, and undermine the order in lamaseries," he said.

Living buddhas in the renowned Taer Monastery in northwest China's Qinghai province, neighboring Tibet, also expressed their indignation over the violence.

Zongoin, director of the temple's administrative office, said "the several monks who were involved in the riots not only violated laws but also countered Buddhism commandments."

"Religious followers shall closely follow Buddhism codes and engage in no violence. The few people should recheck what they did and clearly understand that there is no way out for separatists, and such sabotage activity is against the will of the people," he said.

Religious leaders in Gansu also voiced their opposition to the series of riots in Lhasa, Gansu and Sichuan provinces from last Friday onwards, in which mob burnt down shops, attacked government buildings and assaulted innocent people.

The violence, which the government insisted was coordinated by the Dalai clique, has been widely chided by religious figures and the general public.

China's state television CCTV screened a video clip on Friday, showing mobs riding horses and wielding batons in the Gannan and Aba County of Sichuan. Some of them shouted slogans of "Tibet Independence" and waved flags of "Tibetan-government-in-exile".

Dewacang Jayangtudain Gyaincog, a living Buddha at the famed Labrang Lamasery in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, called on "Buddhism followers to draw a clear line with the criminals, not to be deceived or spread rumors, and not participate in riots of the secessionists," he said.

The violence has died down in the Tibetan-populated areas, as people struggle to restore order.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2008)