China will not punish a group of Tibetan monks for disrupting a government-organised foreign media tour of Lhasa and voicing support for the Dalai Lama, a Chinese official said.
Baema Chilain, vice-chairman of the Chinese-controlled Tibet Autonomous Region, also said "separatists" were planning to disrupt the Olympic torch relay in Tibet.
"These monks will not be punished," Mr Chilain was reported as saying. "But what they said is not true. They were attempting to mislead the world's opinion. The facts shouldn't be distorted."
A day earlier, about 30 monks at the Jokhang Temple, one of the holiest in Tibet, pushed their way into a briefing and spent about 15 minutes telling reporters the government was lying about recent unrest.
They also rejected Chinese claims the Tibetan spiritual leader was directing the protests.
The Dalai Lama, who fled the country for India after a failed uprising in 1959, has condemned the violence and denies he wants anything more than greater autonomy for his homeland.