According to local sources, these commodities, including food, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, illegal audio and video products, were seized by local authorities on different occasions.

Among the torched items were 25,300 pornography or pirated compact disks, said local sources.

A local official said that the action, the largest of its kind to destroy fake and shoddy goods on the "roof of the world" was taken after a meeting on standardizing and regulating market economic order was held in Lhasa

The outcome of the meeting was that Lhasa would deal a severe blow against illegal activities related to selling fake and shoddy commodities and take a leading role in shaping up market order in this remote Chinese region.

Xu Mingyang, vice chairman of Tibet, said today's action demonstrates the government's determination to combat production and selling of fake and shoddy commodities, punishing those who commit crimes that disturb the market order and endanger people's health.

(Xinhua News Agency 09/09/2001)