Lahlu Tsewang Dorje, a former vice-chairman of the Tibet autonomous region's political consultative conference, was the commander in chief of the Dalai Lama's army during the 1959 rebellion to separate Tibet from China.

He was born into one of the most prominent families in old Tibet. There have been two Dalai Lamas from Lahlu Tsewang Dorje's family.

He has witnessed the progress of Tibet from the old to the new, and in a recent TV program spoke about his feelings about the March 14 riots in Lhasa.

"The incident meticulously plotted by the Dalai clique was extremely bad. They beat, smashed, looted and even burnt some people to death. This has never happened before, and I am very indignant," he said.

On March 27, he and two other famous Tibetans published an article in Tibet Daily titled "Fight against all splittists and splitting activities from a firm standpoint and condemn the riots".

"I think the Dalai clique is our enemy and we should fight until the end. Although I am old now, I'm still determined to make my contribution," he said.

"The Dalai clique drew up a so-called constitution which stipulates that the head of the state is the Dalai Lama. He has his own government called Gexia, a complete systematic organization with sub-organizations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress."

Lahlu Tsewang Dorje said he "was opposed to the conflicts between Han and Tibetan ethnic groups and Hui and Tibetan ethnic groups", which someone used as an excuse for the violent incidents in Lhasa.

"It is true that Tibetans and Hans were not in a very good relationship before the liberation of Tibet, that is because rulers in the old days discriminated against the Hans. Now it is totally different - there is equality and harmony between the two groups. And that is why I am so shocked at the riots aiming to sabotage this relationship."

Referring to monks that joined the attacking mobs, he said: "You cannot criticize the central government on the issue of religious faith, you are free to choose your own faith, whether to believe or not is your choice.

"You can be a monk today, and return to the secular world tomorrow. What is more, monks are taught to behave with kindness that is the essence of the faith."

He recalled his own experience that reflects the modern history of Tibet.

In October 1951, he took part in the welcoming ceremony of People's Liberation Army held by the Tibet local government in Lhasa after the signing of the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (also known as the 17-Article Agreement).

"The army treated the Tibetan people so well that I found rumors about them being horrible was an absolute lie," Lahlu Tsewang Dorje said.

However, he was afraid of the democratic reform of Tibet as his own interests lay in the feudal serf system at the time.

In April 1956, the preparatory committee for the Tibet autonomous region was set up and the central government decided to postpone democratic reform until 1962, in consideration of the people of high status in Tibet. However, the potential change to Tibetan society caused panic among some officials of the old government led by the Dalai Lama.

This led to the armed rebellion in 1959, in which Lahlu Tsewang Dorje was arrested as the commander in chief of Tibetan army.

Under the care and education of the government, he realized he had been wrong. In 1965, following his release, he voluntarily asked to farm in a suburb of Lhasa.

He was elected as a member of the political consultative conference of Tibet autonomous region and subsequently twice as the conference's chairman.

(China Daily April 26, 2008)