10. Feb 2009
More Tibet unrest cannot be ruled out - officials
(Reuters) Cao Bianjiang, deputy mayor of Lhasa, said fresh unrest in Tibet cannot be ruled out, because exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is determined to foment trouble. Cao said he was focused on fostering growth that would ensure stability, but exiled Tibetans were scared this would make them irrelevant. "There are some people who do not want to see the peaceful development of Lhasa's economy", he said. The local government has tried to calm tensions and stamp out trouble by chasing those responsible for the March 2008 events, and compensating victims, Cao added. "We have taken other measures, for example punishing illegal elements. You can't let these things happen in front of your eyes with no impact".