Published by: World Tibet Network News Tuesday, December 23, 1997

BEIJING, Dec 23 (Reuters) - China on Tuesday blasted a report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) critical of its Tibet policies as defiling Beijing and disregarding its sovereignty.

``The report pays no regard to China's territorial sovereignty, openly advocates Tibet's self-determination and defiles China as violating human rights in Tibet,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang told a regular news briefing.

"We express strong opposition to this," Tang said.

The Geneva-based body, which works to defend the rule of law around the globe, said in a report on Monday that Chinese-ruled Tibet was ``under alien subjugation'' and called for a United Nations-run referendum to decide its future status.

Tang said the report makers were ignorant of Tibet and international laws.

"Anyone who has any kind of knowledge of Tibet would not draw such a conclusion. I think that their conclusion is wrong," Tang said.

"Tibet belongs to China's internal affairs and no organisation has the right to interfere," Tang said.