Beijing: Adding a new dimension to its onslaught against the Dalai Lama, China today charged the Tibetan independence forces with planning to use "suicide squads" to launch violent attacks in the country taking advantage of the upcoming Olympics here.

"To our knowledge, the next plan of the Tibet Independence forces is to organise suicide squads to launch violent attacks," Ministry of Public Security Bureau spokesman Wu Heping told a hurriedly called press conference here.

He alleged that the "Dalai clique" or supporters of the Tibetan spiritual leader had also plotted and organised activities around the world, including the "so called Free Tibet" and "Global Action Day" campaign.

As part of a "concept" worked out by the "Tibet Independence forces" in September last year in the US, they intend to take full advantage of the Olympics here in August to "stage and exercise turbulence in Tibet and Tibetan inhabited areas," Wu claimed.

Wu said the "Tibetan Independence forces" had also organised a training as part of the "Tibetan people uprising movement" with the purpose of "telling them how to engage and implement actions of violence and terrorism".

He claimed that, in recent days, the Chinese police had seized a number of offensive weapons from monasteries and temples that included 176 guns, 30,013 bullets and huge quantities of explosives.
Source : PTI