Tibet unrest spreads, China steps up crackdown

For the first time since riots erupted in Lhasa, China said other Tibetan inhabited provinces were also hit by the unrest.

Stepping up its crackdown on spiralling pro-independence protests by Tibetans, China has arrested over two dozen people and claimed that 170 others had 8220;surrendered8221; as it rushed more troops to the restive Tibet and nearby provinces where agitators attacked shops and government buildings.

For the first time since riots erupted in Lhasa on Friday claiming 13 lives in the worst ever protests against its rule in two decades, China said Tibetan inhabited areas of Sichauan and Gansu provinces were too hit by the unrest.

Shops and government offices were attacked in the Aba county on Sunday and a similar scene was replicated in counties of Xiahe, Magu, Lugu and Jone and Hezuo city in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southern Gansu.

The riots were 8220;closely linked8221; with Lhasa, Zhang Yusheng, a spokesman with the Gansu provincial government was quoted as saying by official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday night.

Ratttled by the protests, China has ordered its 8220;largest mobilisation8221; since the unrest began, the BBC reported adding 400 troop carriers and other vehicles were seen on the main road.

Two dozen suspects had been arrested in Lhasa for 8220;endangering national security8221;, looting, arson and 8220;other grave crimes8221;, the state-run Tibet Daily reported on Thursday.

Tibet regional government said 170 peeple had 8220;surrendered8221; and most of them have admitted to committing minor offences, Xinhua said. Authorities had asked rioters to surrender by midnight of Monday promising leniency and warning of harsh action against whose who failed to do so. Pamphlets with 8220;Tibetan independence contents8221; were in circulation in Gannan area on March 10, the day when monks led protests in Lhasa to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, and the Tibetans in exile in India launched 8220;March to Tibet8221; to protest the holding of Olympics in Beijing, state media said.

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Yelling 8220;Tibet independence8221; and waving the flags of Tibetan government in exile, the protesters stormed into government offices, police stations, hospitals, shops and markets, local government officials said.

Lhasa, Gannan and Aba are struggling to recover, officials said.

Chinese government updated the toll in the violence saying 325 people were injured in the riots in Lhasa which also caused an economic loss of USD 28 million.

China has said 13 people were killed in the riots but the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala in India maintains that 99 people have so far died in clashes with security forces, including 80 in Lhasa.

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Authorities have banned entry of foreigners to Lhasa while tour groups are allowed to travel to Tibet, though the region8217;s tourism bureau has suggested that they defer their travel plans due to the unrest.

China yesterday said it is locked in 8220;life-and-death battle8221; in Tibet and accused the Dalai Lama of inciting the riots while calling him a 8220;wolf in a monk8217;s robes8221;.

The international community, including the US, continued to ask Beijing to hold direct talks with the Dalai Lama to resolve many of the outstanding issues.

8220;The Dalai Lama is not calling for independence for Tibet, he is calling for engagement with Chinese officials in dialogue. And we support that call. We very much want to see the Chinese speak with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to try and resolve many of these outstanding issues,8221; Deputy spokesman of the US State Department Tom Casey said.

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Asking China to exercise restraint in dealing with protests in Tibet, the senior Bush administration official said 8220;we do not wish to see any loss of innocent life.8221;

Sticking to its position, China has said it is willing to hold dialogue with the Dalai Lama only if he gave up pro-Tibet independence position and accepted Tibet and Taiwan as parts of China.

The monks-led protests began peacefully on March 10 but spiralled out of control and spread beyond Lhasa in the strongest ever challenge in two decades to the Chinese government.