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China official denies Tibetan riots: state media
Beijing (AFP) March 3, 2009 A Chinese official Tuesday denied there had been riots in a Tibetan-populated region of southwest China, state media said, following reports that monks had staged protests there. "There were no such riots as some foreign media have reported," Xinhua news agency quoted Wu Zegang, head of Sichuan province's Aba prefecture, as saying in Beijing. According to Tibet activist groups and residents, Aba has in recent days been the scene of protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks, including an attempted self-immolation by one of them. In its brief report, Xinhua said Wu made the comments in the Chinese capital where he has come to attend the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's rubber-stamp parliament, opening on Thursday. "I've got no idea about the so-called lama riots or protests in Aba. But my colleagues at home have confirmed with me over the phone that there is no such thing," Wu was quoted saying. Security forces have surrounded the Sey monastery in Aba where tensions were running high after monks held a rally a week before the 50th anniversary on March 10 of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, activists said. Scores of monks at the monastery had rallied on Sunday after local officials outlawed prayers during a traditional Buddhist festival, the US-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said, citing sources there. The demonstrations were near held the site of an attempted self-immolation on Friday by a monk protesting against China's 58-year rule of the Himalayan region. The London-based group Free Tibet said the monk was shot by police amid the immolation attempt. Xinhua on Monday quoted unnamed Chinese authorities denying the monk was shot, adding that police had put out the fire and the monk was in stable condition in hospital. Local residents reached by AFP by phone have confirmed the recent incidents while local authorities have refused comment. Tibetans took to the streets on March 14 last year, after four days of peaceful protests to mark the uprising's 49th anniversary. Those demonstrations escalated into riots across the Tibetan plateau that brought a massive Chinese crackdown. Security forces opened fire on protesters in Aba during last year's upheaval, killing at least seven Tibetans, activists said. The Dalai Lama, other exiles and activist groups have reported a massive security build-up in Tibet and neighbouring areas with Tibetan populations ahead of the uprising anniversary. The Dalai Lama has accused Chinese authorities of trying to provoke Tibetans into demonstrating to justify a crackdown. Tibet's government-in-exile says Beijing's response to last year's unrest left 200 Tibetans dead. China says police killed one "insurgent" and blamed Tibetan "rioters" for 21 deaths. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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