US hits out at China for blaming Dalai Lama

Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, today lashed out at China for accusing the Dalai Lama of inciting violence in China.

"An independent outside investigation should be ordered into allegations by China that the Dalai Lama, an epitome of non-violence, was behind the recent violence in Tibet," Pelosi told reporters after meeting the Dalai Lama in this northern Indian hill town, which is the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Pelosi was the prime mover of the last year's decision to honour the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal, a top US civilian honour. The move had angered China.

Attacking Beijing's "repressive regime," she said, "China must allow journalists and other monitors to enter Tibet and see for themselves what the situation is inside Tibet."

"The US if for encouraging dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Beijing," she said.

"I am here to support the Dalai Lama on behalf of the people of the United States," she told a gathering of cheering and clapping monks, many of whom were waving the US flag.

She is the first senior US official to visit the Dalai Lama since last week, when peaceful protests in Tibet turned violent. Pelosi is the third most important politician in the United States.

"If we don't talk for Tibet today, we have lost our moral right to talk for human rights," she said.

The visit of Pelosi, 67, has annoyed China, which has warned against any meddling in its "internal affairs" by "any country, organisation or person". Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan said no "country, organisation or person" should "take any irresponsible act or say irresponsible words" on recent happenings in Tibet.

India, however, found nothing wrong in Pelosi expressing her views on Tibet. "They have expressed their views. They are not putting pressure," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told a TV channel.

According to agency reports, China launched a manhunt for the 21 "suspects" who took part in the riots in Lhasa by releasing their photos even as it admitted that security personnel had opened fire at the agitators, contradicting its earlier claims.

While the Chinese say 13 people have died in violence in Tibet since March 10, the Tibetan government-in-exile here says 99 Tibetans have been killed.

Chinese security forces have swamped Tibet and nearby provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai with streets being full of police vehicles, check posts and military trucks.