Tibet’s top leader has fired three officials for failing to crack down on unrest in the region, state press said on last Thursday, a day after another Tibetan set himself alight to protest China’s rule. Chen Quanguo, Communist Party head of Tibet, announced the sackings in Wednesday’s meeting at which he also called for increased pressure on Tibetan separatists led by what he called the “Dalai clique”, the Tibet Daily reported.
Beijing has blamed the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, for unrest in Tibet and nearby areas in recent months in protest against what many ethnic Tibetans see as religious and cultural repression by Beijing. The official Tibet Daily said the three officials were fired for leaving their posts during last month’s Lunar New Year celebrations, in violation of orders.
The sackings come after an official in Tibetan areas in neighboring Sichuan province pledged this week to fire any official found lacking in efforts to “safeguard stability”, a term that routinely refers to stamping down on unrest. “We must deeply recognize that the fight against the Dalai clique is a long-term, complicated, and at times a very sharp struggle,” the paper quoted Chen as saying. “We must thoroughly…and completely grasp and implement every measure aimed at safeguarding social stability and firmly take the initiative in the struggle against separatism.