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1,153 released after March 14 disturbances in Tibet

Lhasa: Following the March 14 disturbances in Lhasa, the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) has arrested 953 persons who were directly involved in the killings, arson and other forms of violence. The 1,153 persons who did not directly participate in the violence in the days following March 14, those who “committed arson and other petty crimes taking advantage of the chaos”, were released “after education” he said.

This was stated by Baima Chilin, Deputy Vice-Chairman of the TAR to a group of visiting Indian and Italian journalists to Lhasa on Thursday.

Of the 953 who directly participated, 362 were those who “turned themselves in”. He said there were many (he did not specify how many) who are still on the “wanted list”.

The trial of the 953 is proceeding in accordance with Chinese law and some have already been convicted. However, 116 are “waiting for trial.”

To a specific question, he said of those already convicted, no one has been given the death sentence, but that the “law will take its course” in the cases of the others. He said 18 persons were killed, either burnt or slashed to death. Of these three were Tibetans, and included an infant.

Four months after the incident, “all efforts have been made to bring Lhasa back to normal, said Mr. Baima, adding: “We have waived administrative taxes worth 200 million yuan.”

Preferential policies, including tax breaks, soft loans, and interest-free bank loans have been given to 1,387 persons.

Tax cuts and exemptions have benefited 6000 self-employed businesses, and 106 households whose houses were destroyed are going through subsidy formalities. The TAR administration has also given reconstruction subsidies to 887 householders, he added.

Describing the incidents as “severely destabilising normal social order, life and prosperity” in Lhasa, and giving detailed figures of the losses sustained, he said the direct economic loss was 320 million yuan.

Asked for the cause of the discontent when the TAR had registered such significant process in the economic, educational, and cultural spheres, he said that considerable evidence had been gathered through cross examination of the participants that would be made public at the appropriate time.

Since May 13, 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet, he named March 10 as “National Humiliation Day” and “National Independence Day.” Since the 1980’s , the Dalai Lama and his followers had stepped up activities “aimed at separatism,” and had “engaged in lobbying with the western media and distorting facts.” The slogan “Greater Tibet, greater autonomy, and peace” was “only a cover” for their real activities, he said.

Mr. Baima asked the assembled journalists to compare conditions in Tibet before and after 1959. “Before 1959, the life expectancy in Tibet was 35, now it is 67. In 1959, 90 per cent Tibetan were illiterate. Now 92.8 per cent of children are in school. Please ask the Dalai Lama how many schools he built when he was in Tibet,” he said.

To a specific question from an Italian journalist on why the Han sectors of the city were rich and the Tibetan sectors poor, Mr. Baima said this was the first time he had heard of such a divide.

Of every 100 yuan given to the TAR by the Central Government, 92 to 93 yuan went directly for the betterment of the living conditions of Tibetans.

“It is both unrealistic and irresponsible to say that a few people living in poverty are Tibetan and a few people living in relative wealth are Han Chinese.”

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