Special report: Dalai's separatist activities condemned
LHASA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- About 325 people were injured in the violence in Lhasa on Friday, and damage has increased to more than 200 million yuan (about 28 million U.S. dollars), latest counts by the Tibetan regional government show.
The losses include 100 million yuan
in shops, 6.5 million in public facilities, 9.05 million in financial services
and the rest in government agency buildings, according to the latest tally.
The eruption of violence has damaged
422 shops, six hospitals, seven schools and 120 civilian residences. Eighty-four
vehicles were torched.
Thirteen innocent civilians were
burned or stabbed to death in the unrest on Friday, said Qiangba Puncog,
chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region government on Monday.
Sources with the government said
that by 10 p.m. on Wednesday, 170 people have turned themselves in to police for
their roles in the riot.
Following the turmoil, the Tibetan
region's foreign affairs office has suspended issuing travel permits to
foreigners starting from Monday. Tour groups are still allowed to travel to
Tibet, but the region's tourism bureau suggested they postpone travel plans due
to facility damages.
Vigorito Carlo, an astrophysics
researcher who works for the Institute of High Energy Physics in Yangbajain in
Tibet, flew into Beijing from Lhasa on Wednesday night. He said he had planned
to stay in Lhasa until March 29th, but had to cut his trip short.
"The city is calm now, but my
families were still worried. I will come back to Yangbajain next year," he told
Xinhua at Beijing airport.
