Major casualties and damages

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www.TibetanReview.net, March31’08

Lhasa
The exile Tibetan government reported Mar 24 that around 140 Tibetans had been confirmed killed in China’s violent crackdown on Tibetan protests since Mar 14 and released a list of 40 names. Explaining the difficulty of gathering figures, Tibet.net said Mar 24 that in many cases the dead were being turned over to the People’s Procuracy rather than being returned to the bereaved families.

The TCHRD, citing eyewitness accounts and testimonies, said Mar 26 that so far at least 79 Tibetans had been confirmed dead as a direct result of brutal crackdown by the Chinese security forces.

Earlier, RFA March 15 cited sources as saying Bodies of those killed in the Mar 14 crackdown could be seen in and around Lhasa. “We saw two dead at Ramoche temple, two in the garden, two at the Ganden printing house, and those Tibetans who went to take food to prisoners in Drapchi prison saw 26 Tibetans shot after they were brought in on a black vehicle,” it quoted a Tibetan witness as saying. It also cited several witnesses as saying two bodies were lying in the central Bharkor area. A Times online (UK) report Mar 19 cited witnesses as saying three Tibetans had leap to their deaths from the windows of their apartment blocks during police raids.

TCHRD reported Mar 15 that around 25 Tibetans had died in the crackdown on protesters at Ramoche Temple, Jokhang Temple and Tromsigkhang marketplace. The exile Tibetan government Mar 16 cited “reliable sources” as “confirming” that at least 80 people had been killed in Lhasa on Mar 14 alone.

China, on the other hand, said that as of Mar 21, 18 civilians and one police officer were confirmed dead in Lhasa. In addition, the official Xinhua news agency Mar 25 said 623 people, including 241 police and armed police, were injured. A Xinhua report Mar 22 said the dead police officer was killed by a mob. The report said rioters had set fire to seven schools, six hospitals and 120 residences, burned down 84 vehicles and looted 908 shops. Damage was estimated at more than 244 million yuan (about US $34.59 million).

China gave no official figures of injuries and deaths among Tibetan protesters, given its claim that no violence was used to end the unrest.

Meanwhile, the situation has been reported to be getting desperate at the monasteries sealed by the authorities because of the blockage of food, water and food supplies. Tibet.net reported Mar 26 that Ramoche monk Lobsang Thokmey had died of starvation and the authorities delivered his body to his family on Mar 25. People trying to take food to the monasteries were reportedly being turned away.

Sichuan Province
Ngaba County: The 23 protesters reported to have been killed in police firing on a group of 2,500 demonstrators in Aba County of Sichuan Province on Mar 16 included a 16-year-old school girl named Lhundup Tso, who still had her school satchel strapped to her back when discovered by monks of the local Kirti monastery, reported Times Online (UK) Mar 23. She was hit in the back of her head and was lying dead next to fellow pupil Norbu, 17, from Aba Tibetan middle school.

China issued two Xinhua statements on Mar 20, both saying its troops fired in self-defence. But while the first one said four protesters had been shot dead, the second report quickly “corrected” it to say that four “rioters” were wounded, according to a Radio New Zealand report Mar 21.

A photo of eight of those killed taken at Kirti monastery later reached the outside world. Those identified from it included monk Lobsang Tashi; laypersons Tsezen and Tsering, and students Lhundup Tso (Female, 16) and Norbu (male, 17).

Kandze County: Xinhua Mar 25 said a policeman was killed and several others injured in the latest assault in Garze Prefecture on Mar 24. It said a group of rioters attacked the armed police officers on duty with knives and stones, forcing the police to fire warning shots.

Earlier, ICT Mar 19 cited several sources as saying at least three Tibetan protestors were shot dead when several hundred Tibetans gathered in the main market square at Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) town in Kardze Prefecture, calling for independence and shouting ‘Long live the Dalai Lama’. Two of the dead were identified as Gonpo Nadul and Nyiga.

Gansu Province
The number of those killed in PAP firing in the Machu County protest of Mar 16 involving over 2,000 Tibetans was suspected to be 19.

Xinhua said Mar 23 and 25 that 94 people were injured in the protests that took place in Gannan (Tibetan: Kanlho) Prefecture, with the economic loss being put at 230 million yuan (US $32.6 million). The injured were reported to include 64 police, 27 armed police, two government officials and one civilian. It added that six police and four armed police were in dangerous condition in hospital.

It made no mention of any casualty among the demonstrators.

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