China state television shows footage of Lhasa riots

March 15, 2008

China's state-run television showed footage of riots in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa Saturday and squarely blamed the unrest on "splittist" elements loyal to the exiled Dalai Lama. The footage on China Central Television showed hundreds of angry rioters running amok in the streets of Lhasa, breaking into buildings and setting fire to vehicles and stores. A small group of monks were seen smashing a public telephone, while a group of men tore down the metal barrier to the door of a Bank of China in what appeared to be Lhasa's famous Barkor district. "There is plenty of evidence that shows that this is an organised and plotted attack carried out by the Dalai Lama clique," the voice over to the footage said. "The people of Tibet are incensed by this and strongly condemn these activities which are doomed to failure.", the voice over added. China said Saturday that 10 people had been burnt to death during the violent unrest, which has added to the pressure on Beijing just months before it hosts the Olympic Games. Witnesses said tanks and armoured vehicles were out in force in the Tibetan capital Lhasa on Saturday morning, a day after the worst protests against China's controversial rule in the vast, mountainous region in nearly 20 years.