China's top religious affairs official on Wednesday lashed out at the Dalai Lama's US congressional award and meeting with US President George W. Bush, saying he had staged a "farce".

"It's like a Peking Opera, and the Dalai Lama is the protagonist singing his long-time attempts to split the motherland and seek 'Tibet independence'", said Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, at a press briefing during the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

When no one sang along, the Dalai Lama claimed he had dropped his "independence" claim and wanted a "higher degree of autonomy" and "Greater Tibet" instead, Ye said.

"Both are the same old claim of 'independence' in guised forms. "

One who betrays his own country must feel isolated wherever he is, said Ye. "When he feels isolated and miserable, he would stage a farce with the Westerners, hoping to exert more influence."

Quoting the Bible, Ye told "those who watched the Dalai Lama's farce" not to do unto others as it would not have others do unto it.

The religious affairs official warned the Dalai Lama, 72, to repent and mend his ways. "The Dalai Lama question is quite easy to solve, as long as he stops his secessionist activities," he said. "I hope he'll solve this problem in his life."

He said the central government has been in contact and consultation with the Dalai Lama's envoy. "Any attempts to split China are doomed to failure, whether the Dalai Lama is alive or not."

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2007)