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The demonstrations in Nepal and New Delhi followed a week of protests against Chinese rule in Tibet that culminated in violence Friday when Tibetans attacked ethnic Chinese and torched their shops in Lhasa, the region's capital. -- PHOTOS: AP, AFP
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DHARAMSHALA - TIBET'S prime minister-in-exile
said Monday that around 100 people have died in unrest in the Chinese-ruled
region, while the Tibetan parliament reported hundreds killed.
'It's very difficult to have precise numbers, but I think it's almost close
to the number of 100,' Mr Samdhong Rinpoche told reporters in Dharamshala, home to
the Dalai Lama and the seat of the exiled Tibetan government and parliament.
'We are requesting the international community and the United Nations send
delegations or commissions inside Tibet,' he added.
The Tibetan parliament in the northern Indian hilltop town said in a
statement it believed 'hundreds' of Tibetans had died.
'The massive demonstrations that started from March 10 in the capital city
of Lhasa and other regions of Tibet, resulting (in the) death of hundreds of
Tibetans, and subsequent use of force... needs to be brought to the attention
of the United Nations and the international community,' the statement said.
China has rejected charges many have died in the unrest, saying on Monday
that Tibetan rioters killed 13 'innocent civilians' during violent protests in
Lhasa, and that it did not use lethal force to quell the rioting.
The parliament statement said exiled leaders in Dharamshala had formed an
'information monitoring committee' to gather information from inside Tibet
following days of unrest and a Chinese crackdown.
The speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, Karma Chophel, also said
that should protests continue, 'a shoot-on-sight order has been given.'
Exiles in Dharamshala have been struggling to get information from the
remote region following the unrest.
On Sunday, aides to the Dalai Lama said they had 'confirmed' reports of 80
deaths - including 26 people allegedly shot outside a Lhasa prison on Saturday
- but said there were many more unconfirmed reports of scores more deaths. -- AFP
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