China denies curbs on Tibet religious freedom

BEIJING, Nov 11 (AP): A government official from China's Tibetan region on Friday rejected allegations of forced assimilation and curbs on religious freedom, while stressing that Tibetan Buddhism should adapt to the Chinese context.
Xu Zhitao, vice chairman of the Tibet region government, defended a boarding school system that overseas activists have said takes children away from their parents and their Tibetan communities. He said China has opened the schools to improve education for children from remote areas.
"The claim that Tibetan children are forced to go to boarding schools is deliberate smearing with an ulterior motive," he said at a news conference to release an official report on the Communist Party's policies in Tibet.
The report extolled progress in economic development, social stability and environmental protection under Communist Party rule. China has built highways and high-speed railways through the mountainous region and promoted tourism as a way to boost incomes.