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More arrests as Tibet still tense China raps Olympic torch protest
(about 4 hours later)
Tensions are continuing in and around Tibet, with a report of fresh unrest on Monday and 13 more arrests in the city of Lhasa on Tuesday. China has condemned a protest over Tibet at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece on Monday.
Tibet's government-in-exile, based in northern India, now says it can confirm 140 people died in the violence, which began on 10 March. In the first reaction from Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said any attempt to disrupt the torch relay for the Olympic Games was shameful.
China has reported 19 deaths, but independent confirmation of either figure is impossible to obtain. During the ceremony, campaigners broke through police lines and unfurled a Tibetan flag before being dragged away.
Foreign journalists remain barred from Tibet and other restive areas. Meanwhile there are reports of more violence in and around Tibet, and the police are continuing to make arrests.
The protests began in Lhasa, and have since escalated, spreading to Tibetan communities in nearby regions and overseas. State media reported 13 arrests in Lhasa linked to protests that took place before the anti-Chinese rioting began.
On Monday pro-Tibet activists attempted to disrupt Monday's ceremony in Greece to light the Olympic torch - something Chinese media appears to have ignored. Any act to disrupt the Olympic torch relay is shameful and unpopular Qin Gang,Chinese spokesman Officials also reported a clash on Monday in Sichuan province, which they said left a policeman dead.
'Reliable information' Tibet's government-in-exile said on Tuesday that it could confirm 140 people had died in the recent violence - an increase of 10 from Monday. China has reported 19 deaths.
Chinese authorities in Tibet say they have formalised the arrest of 13 people for taking part in monk-led demonstrations in Lhasa on 10 March. Independent confirmation of either figure is impossible to obtain. Foreign journalists remain barred from Tibet and neighbouring areas to which the protests have spread.
According to the Tibet Daily, the 13 were part of a crowd protesting near one of Lhasa's main monasteries, yelling "reactionary slogans" and holding a banner. 'Unpopular'
China's Xinhua news agency has described Monday's torch-lighting ceremony at Olympia as "flawless".
But at a regular press conference in Beijing, spokesman Qin Gang acknowledged the presence of the pro-Tibet activists.
TIBET DIVIDE China says Tibet was always part of its territoryTibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th century1950: China launched a military assaultOpposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India Q&A: Tibet and China Key events in Tibet unrestTIBET DIVIDE China says Tibet was always part of its territoryTibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th century1950: China launched a military assaultOpposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India Q&A: Tibet and China Key events in Tibet unrest
"Any act to disrupt the Olympic torch relay is shameful and unpopular," he said.
Rights groups say they are planning further protests along the route, but the spokesman said each country hosting a leg of the torch relay had an obligation to ensure it passed off smoothly.
The spokesman also said that about a dozen foreign journalists would be allowed into Tibet on Wednesday.
The group, who do not include the BBC, would be allowed to interview "victims of criminal acts", he said.
Earlier, Chinese authorities in Tibet said they had formalised the arrest of 13 people for taking part in monk-led demonstrations in Lhasa on 10 March.
According to the Tibet Daily, the 13 were part of a crowd protesting near one of Lhasa's main monasteries, yelling "reactionary slogans" and holding a banner.
The report did not say whether those held were Tibetan monks.The report did not say whether those held were Tibetan monks.
Unrest is still being reported in Tibet's neighbouring provinces. 'Reliable information'
The state news agency Xinhua said one Chinese policeman was killed and several others were injured during clashes on Monday in Sichuan's Garze prefecture. Chinese media reported a fresh outbreak of violence in Sichuan province on Monday.
Police "were forced to fire warning shots, and dispersed the lawless mobsters", the agency quoted a local official as saying. It did not say whether any civilians were hurt. Xinhua said one Chinese policeman was killed and several others were injured during clashes in Garze prefecture.
Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said that its updated death toll of 140 came from sources in Tibet and represented information as of Monday night. Police "were forced to fire warning shots, and dispersed the lawless mobsters", the agency quoted a local official as saying.
The government-in-exile, which is based in Dharamsala in northern India, has also released names of 40 people it says were killed in the protests. It did not say whether any civilians were hurt, but a rights group said that at least one Tibetan died in the clashes.
It had "reliable information" on other casualties but would gather more comprehensive information before revealing their names, it said in a statement on its website. In Dharamsala, the Tibetan government-in-exile said its updated death toll of 140 came from sources in Tibet and represented information as of Monday night.
'Flawless' In a statement on its website, it also released names of 40 people it said were killed in the protests.
Chinese and Tibetan sources have given very different accounts of the protests. It had "reliable information" on other casualties but would gather more comprehensive information before revealing their names, it said.
Chinese authorities have accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the unrest, partly in an attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympics. They accuse foreign media of misrepresenting government efforts to restore order as a military crackdown. Chinese and Tibetan sources have given very different accounts of the protests in the past few days.
Chinese authorities have accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the unrest, partly in an attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympics.
They accuse foreign media of misrepresenting government efforts to restore order as a military crackdown.
But the Tibetan government-in-exile says innocent civilians have been killed by Chinese troops.But the Tibetan government-in-exile says innocent civilians have been killed by Chinese troops.
Events in Tibet have also led to protests overseas. On Monday, pro-Tibet activists briefly disrupted a flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer.
Protesters from media rights group Reporters Without Borders broke through the cordon of 1,000 police officers in Olympia as China's envoy spoke.
But prominent Chinese media outlets did not appear to have reported this. Xinhua described the ceremony as "flawless".