Beijing:
A Chinese government official said on Monday there will be small shock waves in Tibet when the Dalai Lama dies but that the Communist leadership will not allow serious instability.
Tibet's former governor, Qiangba Puncog, told reporters in Beijing that the exiled spiritual leader still has religious clout but no political influence in China.
"Of course there will be some small shock waves due to religious factors, but we will take that into consideration and will surely guarantee long-term political stability in Tibet," said Puncog, who now heads the regional legislature.
Altough the Tibetan region is quiet now, it was rocked by violent anti-government riots three years ago that killed at least 22 people and set off a wave of protests across Tibetan areas of western China.
China blamed followers of the Dalai Lama for fomenting the violence, but the Buddhist leader denies the charge.
The 76-year-old Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1958, remains deeply revered among many Tibetans despite Beijing's decades-long campaign to vilify him and undermine his influence. Successive rounds of talks between Chinese officials and representatives of the Buddhist leader have made no apparent progress toward bringing the sides together.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China despite his claims to be working only for a high degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama, the 14th in the line of reincarnations, has at times insisted his reincarnation would be born in exile and has also said the tradition could end with his death. He has talked about dividing his power, with his reincarnation carrying on spiritual duties while someone else -- perhaps someone he appoints -- takes up the leadership of the exile movement.
China says that the reincarnation tradition cannot be abandoned and that the next Dalai Lama must be born in a Tibetan area under Chinese control.
Meanwhile, Chinese travel agents said they have been ordered not to allow foreign visitors into Tibet around the March 14 anniversary of the 2008 riots.
Beijing Youth Travel Service saleswoman Li Jianyue said the order was conveyed verbally, as is often the case with official directives that the government does not wish to defend or explain.
"A few days ago, they told us not to organize the foreign groups this month," Li said.
The top Chinese government official for Tibet, Zhang Qingli, confirmed there were restrictions but said they were being enforced for safety reasons, citing possible overcrowding and the bitterly cold winter weather.
China strictly limits access by foreigners to Tibet, requiring them to obtain special permits in addition to their Chinese visas and to travel in tour groups.
Tourists from outside the country were banned entirely for more than a year following the 2008 riots in Lhasa. China responded with a massive military crackdown in which Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed.
Tibet's former governor, Qiangba Puncog, told reporters in Beijing that the exiled spiritual leader still has religious clout but no political influence in China.
"Of course there will be some small shock waves due to religious factors, but we will take that into consideration and will surely guarantee long-term political stability in Tibet," said Puncog, who now heads the regional legislature.
Altough the Tibetan region is quiet now, it was rocked by violent anti-government riots three years ago that killed at least 22 people and set off a wave of protests across Tibetan areas of western China.
China blamed followers of the Dalai Lama for fomenting the violence, but the Buddhist leader denies the charge.
The 76-year-old Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1958, remains deeply revered among many Tibetans despite Beijing's decades-long campaign to vilify him and undermine his influence. Successive rounds of talks between Chinese officials and representatives of the Buddhist leader have made no apparent progress toward bringing the sides together.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China despite his claims to be working only for a high degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama, the 14th in the line of reincarnations, has at times insisted his reincarnation would be born in exile and has also said the tradition could end with his death. He has talked about dividing his power, with his reincarnation carrying on spiritual duties while someone else -- perhaps someone he appoints -- takes up the leadership of the exile movement.
China says that the reincarnation tradition cannot be abandoned and that the next Dalai Lama must be born in a Tibetan area under Chinese control.
Meanwhile, Chinese travel agents said they have been ordered not to allow foreign visitors into Tibet around the March 14 anniversary of the 2008 riots.
Beijing Youth Travel Service saleswoman Li Jianyue said the order was conveyed verbally, as is often the case with official directives that the government does not wish to defend or explain.
"A few days ago, they told us not to organize the foreign groups this month," Li said.
The top Chinese government official for Tibet, Zhang Qingli, confirmed there were restrictions but said they were being enforced for safety reasons, citing possible overcrowding and the bitterly cold winter weather.
China strictly limits access by foreigners to Tibet, requiring them to obtain special permits in addition to their Chinese visas and to travel in tour groups.
Tourists from outside the country were banned entirely for more than a year following the 2008 riots in Lhasa. China responded with a massive military crackdown in which Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed.
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