'Tibetans Love Communist Party, Not Dalai Lama'

The Communist Party chief in Tibet says that the Tibetan people feel more affection toward the government than to the region's traditional Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama hasn't done a "single good thing" for Tibet since he left, Tibet Party Secretary Wu Yingjie said.

The people of Tibet are instead "extremely grateful for the prosperity that the Communist Party has brought them", he said.

Zhaxi Jiangcun, a Tibetan grass-roots delegate whom Wu called upon to speak, said as far as he knows "there is no such thing" as adoration for the Dalai Lama among Tibetans.

This Sunday marks 60 years since the 1959 rebellion which erupted in the regional capital of Lhasa. The Dalai Lama has since lived in exile in India.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries and regards the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist.

Wu said Wednesday that there are no restrictions on Tibetan language and that Tibetans are encouraged to learn their mother tongue in addition to Putonghua.

Current conditions in Tibet are difficult to determine because foreign travellers must get special permission to enter the region. Access is rarely given to foreign journalists, though Wu said everyone is welcome as long as they go through official channels.

He said some precautions are necessary to protect tourists' safety. The region has an average elevation of 4,500 metres, which can causes altitude sickness.

"A lot of foreigners are thankful for our concern," Wu said. (AP)