BEIJING, Sep 1, 1996 (Reuter) - Chinese authorities have called for a clean-out of Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan region of Tibet, saying many of the monks were supporters of the exiled god-king Dalai Lama.

The Tibet Daily edition of August 23, available in Beijing Sunday, attacked the Dalai Lama's efforts to achieve Tibetan autonomy, saying he was a puppet of anti-China forces and that it was clear he had no intention of changing.

"Many unsavory people have wormed their way into the temples and monasteries, ignoring the law and religious discipline, inciting the young monks to engage in activities to split the motherland," the paper said.

It called for intensive education work in the monasteries to counter the influence of the Dalai Lama, and warned that protecting freedom of worship in the intensely Buddhist region depended on a solution to the problem.

Tibet has in recent years been rocked by periodic unrest, with many monks and nuns jailed for rioting. Many Tibetans still revere the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising again China.