E-Paper
105 persons surrender for role in Lhasa riots
China on Wednesday said 105 persons have surrendered before police for their role in the riots in Lhasa.
China on Wednesday said 105 persons have surrendered before police for their role in the riots in Lhasa during the fiercest pro-Tibet independence monks-led protests in two decades on Friday last that left 13 persons dead.
The Tibetan regional government had set Monday midnight as the deadline for the rioters to turn in promising leniency to those who fell in line and harsh action to those who did not.
Baema Chilain, vice-chairman of the regional government, said the people who surrendered had been directly involved in the beating, smashing, looting and arson. "Some have turned in the money they looted," Baema was quoted as saying by official Xinhua news agency.
The rampaging mobs had attacked banks, government buildings, schools and shops and set fires at more than 300 places after the protests erupted into large scale violence. Thirteen persons were either hacked to death or burnt, regional government said.
Doje Cering, a 25-year old villager, who smashed a sedan and a van with stones said he was drunk at home when he heard someone shouting, "get out, or we will burn down your house". Then, he just blindly followed them, Xinhua said.
"I was very disturbed by what I did. My family has persuaded me to give in to police," he said.
Preliminary investigation showed at least 373 people and 32 enterprises had reported damages during the riots with the losses exceeding USD 14 million as of Tuesday night, according to the regional department of commerce.
