Beijing is offering monetary rewards of up to 300,000 yuan or US$50,000 to people who could provide tips about violent terror attacks in Tibet as China pushes for stability due to ethnic tensions.

The government is particularly interested in information about terrorist groups based abroad and the activities of their members in China. It also wants to learn more about how religious extremism is spreading in the country, Xinhua reports.

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To qualify for the monetary reward, the information must provide leads about propaganda that are related to terrorism, the production, sales and ownership of weapons, how terrorists cross national boundaries, and the use of the internet by terror groups.

Other provinces and regions in China had offered similar bounties for tips on terrorism crimes and suspects, and the Asian giant wants to be a step ahead in the national and global battle against terrorism.

The reward money offer would complement the anti-terrorism crackdown that China initiated in May, following several attacks in the region that Beijing believes is the handiwork of separatists and extremist Islamic militants from Xinjiang in western China where many Muslim Uighur ethnic minorities reside.

The terror-related violent incidents have caused the loss of lives by the hundreds, although most of these attacks didn't happen in Tibet where the religious freedom and culture of residents are perceived as being stepped upon by national government policies, according to human rights activists.

Fears have been expressed by Tibetans that a new law drafted by China to battle terrorism may be used to commit human rights abuses due to lack of checks and balances.

China insists that since it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1950, it ended slavery and boosted the economy of the region, which used to be backward and poor. Beijing believes the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet who moved to India after he led a failed uprising in 1959, wants to use violence to achieve independence for Tibet.

The reward offer comes on the heels of reports that 15 Communist Party officials in Tibet joined underground independence organizations that allegedly give information to the Dalai Lama and his supporters, as well as take part in activities considered perilous to China's security, reports AP.

TagsTibet, terror attack, Dalai Lama