Official stresses patriotism among monks

Senior official Yu Zhengsheng called on monks and nuns to be patriotic and observe the law and monastic rules during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Jan. 6 to 8.

Yu, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call at a seminar held with Tibetan Buddhist representatives in Sichuan's Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Yu said he hopes Tibetan Buddhists will support the government's efforts to manage monasteries in accordance with the law and encourage monks and nuns to observe both the law and monastic rules.

"The government should offer public services to monasteries while enhancing their management, as well as help Tibetan Buddhism to correspond with socialist society," Yu said.

A unified and strong motherland together with developing and stable Tibetan areas will help ethnic groups improve their lives and brighten the prospects for Tibetan Buddhism, Yu said.

"The fight against the Dalai Lama clique should continue in order to create a favorable social and political environment for economic development and the improvement of people's well-being," he said.

Yu said he hopes Tibetan Buddhists can cultivate higher religious attainments to enable them to run the monasteries and better guide people in religious practices.