"Lhasa is calm," the city's mayor Doje Cezhug told reporters here on Sunday.

"We didn't enforce the martial law there, and the situation in Tibet as a whole is good at present," he said when asked about situation after Friday's unrest in Lhasa.

He said the unrest was provoked by a handful of monks and lawless persons engaged in beating, smashing, looting and burning. They burnt down schools, hospitals, stores and other public utilities.

"These acts are completely targeted at disturbing the happy and stable life of people in Tibet," he said.

"The government is able to maintain stability for the people," added the mayor.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2008)