People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is to carry a commentary on Saturday urging the shattering of the conspiracy and sabotaging activities of the "Tibet independence" forces.

We must see through the secessionist forces' evil intentions, uphold the banners of maintaining social stability, safeguard the socialist legal system and protect people's fundamental interests, and resolutely crush the "Tibet independence" forces' conspiracy and sabotaging activities so as to foster a favorable social environment for reform and development and for people's happiness and welfare, the commentary says.

Social stability is the common aspiration of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and an important prerequisite of China's reform and development, it says.

A Tibet of the past and one of the present speak loud for the fact that without stability, there would be no development nor the happy life the Tibetan people of various ethnic groups are living now, the paper says, noting that the 1.3 billion Chinese people with the Tibetan people included will allow no person or force to undermine the stability of the region.

The socialist legal system provides an important safeguard for the interests of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and the people's democracy, it says, adding that disrupting the system will only bring disaster.

The commentary says the root purpose for maintaining social stability and the socialist legal system is to safeguard the people's fundamental interests. It is for that very purpose that China resolutely cracks down on and severely punishes a handful of lawless criminals.

On March 14, violent crimes of beating, looting and burning in Lhasa of Tibet killed 13 innocent people and injured more than 300, it says. More than 30 public buildings including schools and hospitals and 100 civilian homes were set ablaze and over 420 shops and 80 police and civilian vehicles were burned in fire.

The commentary says such atrocities have caused huge losses to the people's life and property, and severely disrupted Lhasa's social order and stability.

Evidence shows that the violent incidents were created by the "Tibet independence" forces and masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique with the vicious intention of undermining the upcoming Olympics and splitting Tibet from the motherland. They exposed the Dalai clique's hypocrisy in proclaiming "non-violence", "peaceful dialogue", "not seeking independence" and "caring for the Tibetan people", the paper says.

China has taken measures to calm the violence. The measures have safeguarded the socialist legal system, protected life, property, and social stability and won support from the Chinese people of all ethnic groups including Tibetans and the righteous forces of the international community, it says.

After decades of construction and development, Tibet is enjoying its best-ever time of progress and stability, the paper says. Accelerating development, improving livelihood, maintaining stability and opposing separation are the road the region has to walk on if it is to prosper. Secession is against the people's will and sabotage is doomed to fail, says the commentary.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2008)