Tibet party chief: Absolute stability in region still far off

Zhang Qingli, secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, said here on Friday that there was still far to go before achieving absolute social stability in the region, since the Dalai clique had continued planning separatist activities.
"Although Tibet returned to normal in terms of social order, it's still a tough task to maintain peace in the region," Zhang told a celebration of the 81st anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
"Troops in Tibet should always be prepared for possible emergencies, to safeguard the national defense security and region's peaceful development," he said.
Troops should also play an active role in local economic development, he said, and he urged the local party committee and government to further support local troops' modernization work.
The March 14 unrest involved widespread attacks against people and property, in which 18 innocent civilians and one police officer died and 382 civilians and 241 police were injured.
Rioters also torched 120 houses and 84 vehicles and looted 1,367 shops, resulting in a direct economic loss of 320 million yuan (about 47 million U.S. dollars).