Tibet leniency deadline prompts 105 to hand themselves in
Wednesday, 19 Mar 2008 17:04
Chinese riot police deploy in Tibet
Over 100 people turned themselves in to Chinese authorities in Tibet's regional capital of Lhasa yesterday.
According to the Tibet government, 105 submitted themselves to local law after authorities threatened to "harshly" punish those who failed to do so after the weekend's protests.
Rioters had until midnight local time (16:00 GMT yesterday) to present themselves to Chinese authorities, hoping for "leniency" offered by Tibet's governor Qiangba Puncog.
The official death toll from the demonstrations, which were ended by Chinese forces, has now risen to 13, although Tibetan exiles put the figure at around 80.
Meanwhile, Beijing continues to target its post-demonstration efforts at exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama.
It blames him for encouraging the violent protests. Tibet's Communist party secretary Zhang Qingli said: "We are in the midst of a fierce struggle involving blood and fire, a life and death struggle with the Dalai clique."
The Dalai Lama has denied allegations he encouraged the weekend's violence and has threatened to resign if it emerged he was involved in fostering the riots.
"If the majority of the Tibetans in Tibet resorted to violence in their freedom struggle, [the Dalai Lama] would have no option but to resign as spokesperson of the Tibetan people," a statement on his website said.
The Dalai Lama led a failed attempt to secure independence for Tibet in 1959, nine years after Chinese forces initially invaded the region.
His goal remains seeking "autonomy for the Tibetan people" and yesterday he blamed China for the "cultural genocide" which he says is taking place in Tibet now.
"I believe the demonstrations and protests taking place in Tibet are a spontaneous outburst of public resentment built up by years of repression in defiance of authorities that are oblivious to the sentiments of the local populace," he commented.
The war of words continues, however. The Xinhua news agency, a state-owned organisation, attacked his association with the "barbarian crimes" seen in the protests.
"People are honoured for practicing what they say, but such is not true of Dalai. He trumpets peace only in his slick-tongued language, and not in his doings," an editorial stated.
"On what ground shall Dalai say anything to the Chinese government, which exercised maximum restraint, while he readily dismissed any chance to condemn the riots that left Tibetan people in fears and tears?"