China's Buddhist Association on Friday denounced last month's violence in Lhasa, urging monks who had breached Buddhist precepts to meditate over their acts.

Buddhism required its followers to always have mercy at heart and listed "no killing" as its top discipline, the association said in an article carried in the Guangming Daily, a leading Chinese newspaper.

"True Buddhists are benevolent and never resort to violence," it said.

However, seeing television footage of monks in robes participate in assaults, vandalism and arson, co-followers of Buddhism felt regret and shame, the association said.

The Buddhist belief in karma meant those who participated in or instigated violence were destined to face punishment, said the association.

The riot was meant to sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games and led to the deaths of 19 people and huge economic loss, the association said.

The participating monks had broken both the law and Buddhist teachings and humiliated the Buddha and all Buddhists.

The association supported the measures taken by the government, and called on Buddhist followers nationwide to pray for the victims of the riot, the association said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2008)