Russia wants China to curtail "unlawful" acts in Tibet

By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it hoped China would do what was necessary to curtail "unlawful actions" in Tibet, in a strong show of support for its ally Beijing after Tibetans rioted against Chinese rule.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that China's relationship with the Dalai Lama, whose supporters Beijing accuses of stirring up the trouble, was an internal matter.

"We express hope that the authorities of the People's Republic of China will take all necessary measures to curtail unlawful actions and ensure the speedy normalization of the situation in the autonomous region," the ministry said.

The Dalai Lama's representative in Russia told Reuters that witnesses had seen scores of dead bodies in the local capital, Lhasa, and that protests were spreading to other regions.

But Russia, currently enjoying close ties to Beijing, made no criticism of China's actions in the short statement, which described Tibet as an "inalienable part" of China.

China says it has shown great restraint in the face of the protests and has accused followers of the Dalai Lama of stirring up trouble in a bid to tarnish the Beijing Olympics in August.

"We would like to underline that attempts to politicize the summer Olympic Games that are to be held in China in 2008 are unacceptable," Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

"Russia is convinced that the Chinese side will guarantee the highest level of organization of the Games, including the solution of issues of security of the sportsmen and guests at the Olympics," it said.