After the riots began, Party and government officials of the Tibet Autonomous Region reacted quickly. They deployed the police to disperse the violence, and firefighters to put out the fire and evacuate those trapped inside burning buildings. The wounded were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Local authorities say more than 580 people have been rescued by the armed police, including three Japanese tourists, as well as teachers and students in a primary school and a middle school. There were no foreigners among the casualties.
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China's public security and armed police have exerted
the highest restraint.
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In their handling of the incident, China's public security and armed police have exerted the highest restraint. They did not use any deadly weapons, not even when their own lives were threatened. Some riot police were cornered and beaten. Others were stoned. Armed police on duty outside the gate of the Romache Temple were surrounded and attacked by rioters. None of them fired on their attackers.
One day after the riots, vehicles were restricted from entering the city's main roads. But the streets were still littered with roll-over cars, burned motorbikes and bicycles, and smoldering reminder of from violence from the day before.
Local officials in Tibet say there is plenty of evidence to prove that the incident was masterminded by the Dalai clique.
Baema Chilain, vice chairman of government of Tibet autonomous region, said "The Dalai clique used various means to contact and issue orders to their co-conspirators in Tibet. They also resorted to all sorts of tricks to stir up trouble among the people, hiding the truth from them. All this shows that the Dalai clique has never stopped its efforts to disrupt national unity and seek Tibet independence."
"I am outraged!" a Lhasa resident said.
"My heart is very heavy. A small group of secessionists has unleased great violence on Lhasa. They've destroyed our happy life. We can't go to work. Our children can't go to school." another resident said.
"If there should be similar incidents in the future, we will definitely be against them. It's absolutely necessary to punish the culprits in accordance with the law. This is for the interests of the people, for social stability, and for national unity."
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Violence scars Lhasa.
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Many places were attacked and burned down to the ground. The Youth Road in the downtown area suffered the most.
Businessman Peng Xiaobo said "After an explosion, heavy smoke was everywhere. My uncle was over there with the woolen blanket -- he jumped down from the second floor. Then he urged us to jump, too. He said, 'Don't worry about the money. Life is more important.' The explosion shattered all the glasses, and heavy smoke covered up everything."
Peng Xiaobo's four shops were all set on fire. His family had to jump down from the second floor in order to escape. His wife hurt her back during the jump. But the worst was yet to come.
Peng said "I had a younger sister. She just had her 18th birthday in December. She didn't dare to jump from such a height. She tried to find another way to escape, but the stairs under her collapsed. She fell through to the first floor and was burned to death."