Chinese Internet users have mourned victims who died in Lhasa riot on March 14 and condemned the Dalai clique and its followers since Friday's Tomb-sweeping Day.

An Internet user called "Heng Yan" initiated a BBS on www.xinhuanet.com in which netizens are called on to present virtual Khatag, a kind of long piece of silk used by Tibetans for blessings.

"In the riot, 18 innocent people were killed. They are our compatriots who once lived as relatives, neighbors, colleagues or friends around us," Heng Yan wrote in the posting.

"Please present a bouquet of flowers, a Khatag or just a word to express your condolence".

The invitation was responded to quickly with postings from netizens grieving for the victims and their families.

Sohu.com also opened a special column to mourn the victims. Zhou Rong, executive deputy editor-in-chief of the website's news center, said more than 9.6 million "bouquets of virtual flowers" had been left on the website by 8 PM on Saturday.

Netizens have made more than 200,000 postings, which have been viewed more than 5 million times, Zhou said.

Zhou Xiaopeng, vice-director of news center at Sina.com, said the website had received more than 1.5 million visits, and more than 2,500 postings had been made to a BBS on Sina.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2008)