Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday, November 28, 1997

BEIJING, Nov 26 (AFP) - China's Communist Party has warned again that the Dalai Lama is instigating rebellion in Tibet and called for stronger efforts to win over the minds of the people in the troubled region.

"The origin of instability in Tibet is the Dalai clique, and our battle against the Dalai Lama must be fought in the spiritual arena," said a front-page editorial in the Tibet Daily received in Beijing on Wednesday.

"We must fight hard against the disturbances and sabotage of the Dalai Lama and end separatism to build up a stable atmosphere that will allow economic growth," the editorial said.

China is coming under increasing international pressure to allow more freedom in Tibet, but is reacting by imposing stricter and stricter regimes on the region.

However, its efforts to wipe out all influence of the Dalai Lama -- who fled to India after an abortive rebellion in 1959 -- appear to have backfired.

"We must replace these outmoded and reactionary thoughts (of the Dalai Lama) with the virtues of a socialist life," the editorial, published on November 17 said. The Dalai Lama is Tibet's top spiritual leader. He infuriated Beijing in

1995 by naming the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama -- the second highest

figure in Tibet -- before China did.

China banned all references to the Dalai Lama, but this just drew the battle lines between Tibet's relgious devotees and Beijing.