Tibetans 'chose' to abandon theocracy

Any attempt to combine politics and religion at an institutional level in Tibet would be against the will of its people, a Tibetologist said yesterday.

Many countries abandoned theocratic governance, and the local government of the Tibet autonomous region followed suit, Lian Xiangmin, a professor at the Beijing-based China Tibetology Research Center, said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office.

"In my view, it is a sign of historic progress," Lian said.