Courts in Tibet have so far meted out sentences to 76 people involved in the March 14 riot last year in the capital city of Lhasa, a senior Tibetan official has said.

Nyima Cering, vice chairman of the standing committee of the Tibet regional People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference Tuesday night.

The plateau city of Lhasa, was rocked by serious rioting on March 14 last year, which was two weeks before the traditional Tibetan New Year.

"Tibetan people are enjoying a good life now. There is no reason for them to forgo celebrating their traditional holiday this year," said Cering, in response to an underground campaign by some secessionists to boycott the festival to "mourn the dead of 2008."

There will be a week-long public holiday, starting on Feb. 23, in Tibet to celebrate the Tibetan New Year.

"Everything is back on track. Religious events have remained normal," said the Tibetan official.

Non Gyal, a monk from the Johkang Temple, attended the press conference. He said he was "misled by a group of people" to disrupt a media group, falsifying authorities had killed more than100 people in Lhasa during the riot last year.

"I was neither taken into custody nor punished. My life and religious study have been normal," said the monk.

Source: Xinhua