Foreign diplomats visit Lhasa after riot
30/3/2008 10:19
A 15-member diplomat delegation visited Lhasa, capital of the Tibet
Autonomous Region, on Friday and yesterday, the first group of foreign diplomats
to visit the plateau city after the March 14 riot.
Their tight agenda
included talking with a monk at the Jokhang Temple and meeting with Qiangba
Puncog, chairman of the Tibet regional government.
Yesterday morning,
the delegation came to the Jokhang Temple and talked with a monk of the temple.
The diplomats came from Beijing-based embassies and diplomatic missions
of Brazil, Japan, Germany, Canada, European Union, Italy, Spain, Slovenia,
Singapore, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Russia and the United
States.
Upon arrival on Friday afternoon, the delegation went to the
burnt Yishion Clothes Store on the Beijing Middle Road in downtown Lhasa where
five young girls were burnt to death in the riot.
The shop boss and a
girl who survived the fire answered questions from the diplomats. The survived
girl told in detail what had happened in the afternoon of March 14, as foreign
diplomats required.
The delegation's buses passed through the Beijing
Middle Road, Qingnian Road, North and East Linkuo roads on which some shops and
institutions were smashed, looted and burnt by the rioters. Then they arrived at
the Second Middle School of Lhasa which was partially burnt in the riot.
The schoolmaster talked about the whole process of how rioters burnt
school buildings and their efforts to evacuate students and teachers.
George Manongi, minister of the Tanzanian embassy in China, said he felt
very sad while seeing the burnt houses and wounded innocent people.
"Those 'peaceful protests' were in fact ended up with violence. No
government will tolerate this," he said.
Qiangba Puncog met with the
delegation Friday evening.
He told the diplomats that the March 14 violent incidents were created by the
"Tibet independence" forces and organized, premeditated and masterminded by the
current Dalai clique with the vicious intention of undermining the upcoming
Beijing Olympics and splitting Tibet from the motherland.
He said police
authorities had detained 414 suspects being involved in the beating, smashing,
ransacking and arson incidents, and another 289 turned themselves in. Among
them, 111 had been released for minor offence.
The Public Security
Bureau of Lhasa had issued a "most wanted" list hunting for 53 suspects and post
their images on major Internet portals, including yahoo.com and sina.com. Among
the 53 suspects, six had turned themselves in, and four had been arrested,
Qiangba Puncog said.
So far, at least 18 civilians, including an
eight-month infant, and one police officer had been confirmed killed in the
Lhasa unrest, which also saw 382 injuries. Damage was estimated at about250
million yuan (US$35.21 million), according to the regional government chairman,
adding that no foreigners had been hurt in the unrest.
Oswaldo Biato Jr,
minister counselor of Brazilian Embassy in China and head of the delegation,
expressed his gratitude to Qiangba Puncog for his meeting.
He said all
the delegates were glad to be here, as it was a good chance to collect
first-hand information.
During his meeting with the delegation, Qiangba
Puncog also urged Tibetan monks to stay out of politics, saying, "Politics is
not in line with Buddhism doctrines."
Counsellor of the Slovenian
Embassy in China Bernard Srajner said he was satisfied at Qiangba Puncog's
remarks. What he saw after arriving Lhasa showed that "it is a normal city."
Gregory May, secondary secretary from the United States Embassy in
China, called the trip "a step in the right direction."
Yesterday
morning, the delegation visited wounded police and other patients at local
hospitals.
The diplomats also talked with ordinary Tibetans whose lives have been
severely affected by the March 14 riot, as well as some foreigners who live in
Lhasa.
The diplomats returned to Beijing late yesterday evening.
The trip was arranged by China's Foreign Ministry and the government of
the Tibet Autonomous Region.
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