China warns Tibet protesters to surrender

Anti-Chinese protesters in Tibet were warned to give themselves up today or face "harsh" consequences.

Tibet's governor told demonstrators they would be treated leniently if they surrended, especially if they informed on fellow dissidents.

Champa Phuntsok said last week's violent demonstrations in the regional capital of Lhasa left 16 dead and dozens injured. Unconfirmed reports from Tibetan exile groups put the death toll at 80.

The uprising, the fiercest against Chinese rule in the region in almost two decades, has embarrassed China's communist government and undermined its efforts for a smooth run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

The ensuing crackdown, meanwhile, led the Dalai Lama, Tibetans' exiled spiritual leader, to decry what he called "cultural genocide" in his homeland and call for an international investigation.

The Tibet governor described a scene of chaos throughout Lhasa on Friday with "people engaged in reckless beating, smashing, looting and burning." Shops, schools, hospitals and banks were targeted and bystanders were beaten and set on fire, he said.

"No country would allow those offenders or criminals to escape the arm of justice and China is no exception," he said.

"If these people turn themselves in, they will be treated with leniency within the framework of the law," he said. "If these people could provide further information about the involvement of other people in those crimes, then they could be treated even more leniently."

Otherwise, he added, "we will deal with them harshly."

Meanwhile, security forces were mobilising across a broad expanse of western China, where demonstrations were springing up in Tibetan communities in the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu.

The unrest in Tibet began on 10 March, the anniversary of a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule of the region. Tibet was effectively independent for decades before communist troops entered in 1950.

Beijing has said the violence was engineered by supporters of the Dalai Lama, whose government-in-exile has been based in the Indian town of Dharmsala since he fled Tibet after the failed 1959 uprising. He is still the region's widely revered spiritual leader and one of the figures most reviled by China's communist leadership.

The Dalai Lama called for his followers to protest peacefully but said he would not order them to end the demonstrations.

"Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place," he said, referring to an influx of Chinese migration into Tibetan areas and restrictions on Buddhist practices.

He said that he felt "helpless" in the face of the Chinese ultimatum for protesters to surrender. "I feel very sad, very serious, very anxious. Cannot do anything. That is helpless," he said.

"This is something like the people's movement," he said, calling himself just a spokesman for the Tibetan people. "Morally, I don't want to demand 'do this, do that."'

Beijing restricts access to Tibet for foreign media, making it difficult to independently verify the casualties and the scale of protests and suppression.

Local governments in western China were also starting to ban foreign reporters, blaming safety concerns.

State television broadcast extensive footage of torched buildings and streets strewn with burned and looted goods, underscoring the government's drive to emphasise the destructive nature of the protests without discussing their underlying causes.

Champa Phuntsok said: "The rioters resorted to extremely brutal means."

Interesting? Click here to explore further