"The disturbance and sabotage of the Dalai Lama clique constitutes one of the major factors behind the backwardness of Tibet," said Basang, deputy secretary of the Tibet autonomous regional committee of the Chinese Communist Party, quoted by the official Xinhua news agency.

She told visiting member of House of Representatives Matt Salmon that before the Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959 95 percent of the Tibetan population were serfs.

"Tibet has always been an inalienable part of China," she said, repeating the official Beijing line, and adding "the feudal serfdom system was practiced in Tibet until 1959 when democratic reform was introduced into the region."

The Dalai Lama is marking the 40th anniversary of his flight into exile, which came after Chinese troops who marched in 1951, launched a bloody crackdown on an uprising against the Chinese.

China has stepped up its criticism of the Dalai Lama, one of Beijing's arch foes, whom it accuses of working to try to split "the motherland".

"The Dalai Lama can return to China during his lifetime as long as he completely abandons his splitting activities, recognizes publicly that Tibet is a part of China," Basang added.

The Nobel peace laureate, who has set up his government in exile in northern India, has repeatedly called for talks with Beijing over the future of Tibet, stressing he is not seeking independence for his people but autonomy.

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Last updated: 3-April-99