By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-02 06:23

Tibetan separatists may use suicide attacks to escalate violence after the recent riots in Lhasa, public security officials warned Tuesday.

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"To our knowledge, the next plan of the Tibetan 'independence' forces is to organize suicide squads for launching violent attacks," Ministry of Public Security spokesman Wu Heping told a press conference in Beijing.

"They claim that they fear neither bloodshed nor sacrifice."

Wu made the remarks while revealing a series of activities conducted, or planned, by the Dalai clique based on information collected by security authorities and confessions made by captured suspects.

He promised that the ministry would reveal more evidence as investigations progress.

Wu said police have sufficient evidence to prove that the Lhasa riots were part of the "Tibetan People's Uprising Movement" launched by the Dalai clique in January, which aims to create crises and exert pressure on the Chinese government as the Olympic Games draws near.

They set a deadline of March 10 for the central government to meet their demands, Wu said.

The demands included inviting the Dalai Lama back to Tibet as soon as possible, pulling out Communist Party of China organizations from Tibet, and freeing all "political prisoners".

Wu said police have captured the key suspects who allegedly planned, organized and participated in the violence on March 14 and "the suspects are closely connected with the Dalai clique."

The captures have also led to the discovery of a domestic network overseen by an official from the "security ministry" of the Dalai clique, Wu said.

He said a key suspect directly related to the Lhasa violence had "confessed to his part in organizing, planning and implementing the Lhasa violence on March 14, directed by an official of the Dalai clique".

The suspect's identity was not revealed as the case is still under investigation.

Wu also said that evidence shows that claims by the Dalai Lama that he neither participated in, nor supported, violence are "blatant lies".

He also said police had found a huge quantity of lethal weapons in the dormitories of some monks, including 178 guns and 3.5 tons of explosives after receiving tip-offs.

A total of 414 suspects are in custody in connection with the riots, and another 298 people surrendered to police.