China Furious Over Remarks on Tibet From American Official

Outraged at the suggestion that government polices might have something to do with self-immolations

China's foreign ministry has lambasted the US in exceptionally harsh terms for its comments on the human rights situation in Tibet, saying it had filed a formal diplomatic complaint.

Maria Otero, the US special co-ordinator for Tibetan issues, said in a statement on Wednesday that tensions in Tibetan areas, including self-immolations, had been exacerbated by tough Chinese policies and controls.