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PEACEFUL PROTESTS?: Burnt and blackened buildings on the streets of Lhasa. Violent rioters set fire at over 300 locations, said Tibet government chief Qiangba Puncog, refuting claims that the anti-Chinese protests had been peaceful. -- PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING - BEIJING gave its version of the Lhasa riots for the first time yesterday, blaming 'aggressive' ethnic Tibetans and monks for the explosive confrontations while insisting that security forces had exercised 'utmost restraint'.
Speaking to foreign reporters at a hastily called news conference yesterday morning in Beijing, a Tibet government chief dismissed descriptions of the Lhasa protests as 'peaceful', refuted accusations of the use of deadly force by Chinese police and defended China's handling of the riots.
Beijing is also disputing the death toll from Tibet's most violent and largest protests in 20 years, claiming that it is far fewer than the 80 to 100 deaths reported by Tibet's Dharamsala-based government-in-exile.
Painting a picture of violent rioters on the rampage, Mr Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government, told reporters: 'What I feel indignant about is how the Dalai clique and some people in Western countries describe the fighting, smashing, looting and arson of the rioters as a 'peaceful demonstration', and describe our lawful handling of the violence...as 'suppressing a peaceful protest'.'
Over the weekend, almost a week after anti-Chinese protests broke out in Tibet's provincial capital, Lhasa, on March 10, Chinese officials and state media have offered their side of the story in an apparent attempt to temper international criticism and swing public sympathy away from the Tibetan protesters.
Apart from stern warnings to separatists, Beijing's accounts highlighted the 'patience and civility' of the police, and condemned attempts by Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to use the human rights spotlight on China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics to stir up trouble.
Far from being peaceful, rioters in Lhasa 'burnt and hacked to death 13 innocent civilians', hurt at least 61 security personnel, set fire at over 300 locations damaging 214 shops, and destroyed some 56 vehicles, said Mr Qiangba Puncog, who is in Beijing attending China's annual parliamentary sessions.
He gave graphic examples of protesters' 'brutality', saying that a group doused an 'innocent civilian with petrol and set him alight' while others carved out a piece of flesh from an unconscious policeman's buttock.
Another similar account released by the Xinhua news agency early yesterday morning said several monks mutilated themselves and took pictures of their wounds in an attempt to 'cover up the truth and confuse public opinion'.
Despite the 'savagery' of local 'ruffians', Chinese police forces maintained the 'greatest degree of restraint, persisted with lawful and civilised handling of the situation', said Mr Qiangba Puncog, adding that the police forces did not carry or use any lethal weapons.
'I can tell you as a responsible official that guns were absolutely not fired. The People's Liberation Army was not involved at all in dealing with the incident,' he said. Only tear gas and water cannon had been used on protesters, he added.
His version, however, contradicts eyewitness accounts from foreign tourists in the city at the time, some of whom said they heard the distinct crack of gunshots in the streets.
Protesters found to have committed serious crimes, however, can expect none of this 'restraint'.
Said Mr Qiangba Puncog: 'China is a country ruled by law. No country would allow this violence.
'For those people who are still active or have committed serious crimes, we will deal with them harshly. If these people can provide further information about those involved, then they could be treated more leniently.'
An equally harsh reminder of the consequences was also issued through the Tibetan Daily over the weekend.
'We must wage a people's war to beat splittism and expose and condemn the malicious acts of these hostile forces and expose the hideous face of the Dalai Lama group to the light of day,' the paper said.
tracyq@sph.com.sg
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