BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on Monday urged relevant countries to respect fact and distinguish right and wrong on the riot occurred in Lhasa.

    Liu made the remarks in responding to a press question about some countries calling for solution on the incident via dialogue.

    The action of the lawless persons is not at all a peace demonstration but a violent crime, Liu said. The law breakers killed innocent people brutally, arousing great indignation and condemnation from people of all ethnic groups in Tibet Autonomous Region.

    Local government has taken legal measures to deal with the incident in order to maintain social stability, to defend the nation's legal system and to safeguard the fundamental interests of people of all ethnic groups in Tibet, he said.

    The riot was organized, premeditated and fanned by the Dalai Lama clique, which not only caused heavy losses of life and property in the city but also seriously disturbed social order, Liu said.

    He said the riot exposed once again the separatist inbeing of the Dalai Lama clique and the hypocritical and fraudulent nature of its so-called "peace" and "non-violence" allegations.

    Any attempts to split the motherland are firmly apposed by Chinese people of all ethnic groups including the Tibetan compatriots, and are doomed to failure, he said.