www.TibetanReview.net, August 5
In an apparent move to continue and further tighten controls and strengthen restrictions, Tibet Autonomous Region’s Chinese boss Mr Zhang Qingli has said Aug 1 that there was still far to go before achieving absolute social stability in the region, claiming that the “Dalai clique” had continued planning separatist activities. “Although Tibet returned to normal in terms of social order, it’s still a tough task to maintain peace in the region,” China’s official Xinhua news agency Aug 1 quoted Zhang, the region’s party secretary, as saying during celebrations in Lhasa marking the 81st anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
“Troops in Tibet should always be prepared for possible emergencies, to safeguard the national defense security and region’s peaceful development,” he has said.
Zhang also wanted the PLA play an active role in local economic development and has urged the local party committee and government to further support local troops’ modernization work. The PLA owns large tracts of real estate properties and other assets in Tibet and runs businesses.