XINHUA is the official news agency of the People's Republic of China

LHASA (Aug. 30) XINHUA - "Seeing is Believing," said Antje Vollmer, vice-president of the German Federal Assembly (GFA) after visiting a prison in Tibet this afternoon.

The management of this prison is scientific and rational, and what she has seen here is different from what she has heard about, Vollmer said.

Recently, a small number of Western politicians spread their fabrications about the management in Tibet's prisons out of their own ulterior motives.

US congressman Frank Wolf, who has never been to any Tibetan prisons, went so far as to openly slander Tibet as "persecuting and ill-treating" prisoners.

The Autonomous Regional Prison of Tibet that Vollmer visited is located in the north suburbs of Tibet, and is the largest prison of the region.

Losang Garle, the warden of the prison, told Vollmer that the prison was built in 1960, and locks up the largest number of prisoners among the three prisons in Tibet.

The more than 900 prisoners here are all criminals sentenced to over ten years of imprisonment by the economic court. According to the warden, the criminals in the prisons account for only 0.075 percent of Tibetan population.

Responding to Vollmer's question about the rights of the criminals, the warden said that all criminals are treated equally without any discrimination nor maltreatment.

Their legal rights of appealing and accusing are fully protected, and the appealings lodged by criminals this year have unexceptionally been heard in accordance with legal procedures.

When Vollmer learned that the tapestry with the design of the Potala Palace hanging on the wall of the room is made by a criminal himself, she immediately asked to visit the carpet weaver.

While visiting the carpet mill where more than 100 prisoners are weaving carpets, Vollmer asked one of them to compared this place with the place he stayed during the preliminary hearing and asked him which is better, the criminal, who was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment because of murder, answered: "life here is good." Seeing this robust man, Vollmer nodded her satisfaction.

Vollmer visited cells, an activity center, the teaching building and a visiting room, and learned about the prisoners' study and life.

Relatives of prisoners from Lhasa are allowed 20-minute visits each month, and those from remote agricultural or pastoral areas may visit at any time they like. Besides, the prisoners and their relatives are free to talk and no prison workers will be present, prison sources said.

When leaving the prison, the warden said to Vollmer: "You are welcome to visit here again." Vollmer replied: "I'll try to come again as a guest, but I hope you'll not say so to those who have completed their prison terms." Her words made all those present laughing.