Fending off mounting global pressure, China on Monday said it had shown “maximum restraint” without using lethal force to quell the fiercest monks-led pro-independence protests in two decades in Tibetan capital Lhasa last week which claimed at least 13 lives.
Beijing, at the same time, vowed to deal “harshly” with protesters who committed “serious crimes”, as the Monday’s deadline for surrender to rioters neared amidst increasing international calls to Beijing, the host of the Olympic Games in August, to exercise restraint.
“We showed maximum restraint. We did not use lethal weapons. No guns were used. We only used tear gas and water canons,” Tibet Autonomous Regional Government Chairman Qiangba Puncog said, as he singled out groups associated with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama for the violence.
“Thirteen innocent civilians were either hacked or burnt to death,” he said, amidst reports that the protests by monks had spilled into neighbouring areas, but the top Tibetan official insisted he was not aware of it.
The Tibetan government in exile had put the death toll in the unrest at about 80. Qiangba dismissed the higher toll figures of about “35 to 70 to 80 deaths” as baseless.
China, already under global watch over its human rights record and annoyed over attempts to link it with the Olympics, has come under a closer scrutiny ahead of the Games in Beijing from August 8 to 24, in the aftermath of the convulsions in Tibet.
The central government had made it clear to the police to perform their duties in “a civilised manner” and in accordance with the law, Qiangba said.
“I can tell you with full responsibility that the guns were not used at all,” Qiangba said and even denied the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was involved to tackle the riots. “It is only yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday) that the PLA has been used to clean up the roads and maintain public order,” he said.
Tibet on vigil
Tibet came under tighter control as the entry of foreigners to the Himalayan region was prohibited by the authorities, citing “safety concerns”. The tourists were also asked to leave.
The regional government of Tibet has suspended handling the application of foreigners to travel to Tibet for “safety concerns,” a local official said.
More than 20 foreign tourists had left Tibet safely with the help of the local government, Ju Jianhua, Director with the region’s foreign affairs office, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
The local civil aviation, railway and highway departments would facilitate foreign travellers who want to leave, the official said.
The protests in Lhasa began early last week to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule with marauding mobs taking control of the streets.
