Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao Friday pledged religious freedom and cultural protection in Tibet, just hours after security forces reportedly killed two Tibetans who protested China’s rule. “We will place more importance on improving the lives of our Tibetan compatriots, on protecting the… traditions of Tibet… and in preserving the freedom of religious belief of Tibetans,” Wen said.
Wen’s comments come after US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia (RFA) said security forces shot dead two Tibetan brothers who were on the run after protesting against Chinese rule. The killings came a day after a monk reportedly set himself alight.
The incidents are said to have taken place in two provinces bordering the Tibet autonomous region, as tension in Tibetan-inhabited areas intensified over perceived religious, political and cultural repression.
China launched a clampdown after at least two other Tibetans were killed in a series of protests last month, in what Beijing says is a battle against forces trying to split Tibet from the rest of China.
Wen further urged the Panchen Lama, a top Tibetan Buddhist leader selected and educated by communist authorities, to use his influence to instil patriotism among Tibetans, the government said in a report on its website.
“We hope you can guide the monks and the (Tibetan) people to love the country, uphold the law and follow Buddhist practice… you should play an important and active role in safeguarding national and ethnic unity,” he told the Panchen Lama.
According to RFA — a US-funded group that broadcasts news in several languages including Tibetan — Yeshe Rigsal, a monk, and his brother were shot dead Thursday in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
