'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