China's top leader in Tibet has ordered increased controls over the Internet and mobile phones, state press said Thursday, ahead of upcoming sensitive anniversaries in the restive region.
Chen Quanguo, Communist Party head of Tibet, said maintaining stability in the Himalayan region was of utmost importance during the meeting of China's National People's Congress which opens its annual session on Monday, the Tibet Daily said.
"Mobile phones, Internet and other measures for the management of new media need to be fully implemented," the paper quoted Chen as telling a Thursday meeting.
"We must further spread throughout the region the the main idea that stability means everything. Unstable elements must be nipped in the bud and all work at maintaining stability must be deepened."
The controls on new media appeared to be aimed at stopping information of unrest and crackdowns in one area from spreading and inciting other areas.