953 suspects in Lhasa riots detained

Source: Xinhua | 04-09-2008 15:40

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Police in Tibet have detained 953 people who were suspected of participating in the March 14 violence in Lhasa, Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet autonomous regional government said here Wednesday.

Among all the detained, 403 were formally arrested, Qiangba Puncog said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office.

A total of 362 people delivered themselves to the law enforcement, 328 of whom have been set free due to their minor offenses and willingness to cooperate.

The police listed 93 suspects as the most wanted and have already arrested 13 of the wanted.

After the riots were stopped, local government timely cured more than 380 people injured in the violence and offered compensation to families of 18 innocent civilians who lost their lives, Qiangba Puncog said.

The government quickly restored public facilities such as powersupply and telecommunications. Meanwhile, the affected factories and businesses were subsidized by the government to offset their loss during the violence, he said.

Losses from the Lhasa riots were estimated at 280 million yuan (39.9 million U.S. dollars), Qiangba Puncog said, citing official statistics.

More than 1,300 businesses experienced serious damage, with one jewelry shop alone losing tens of millions of yuan worth of merchandise.

Government aid to affected businesses would include tax breaks and relief on rent, loan interest and urban surcharges.

People in Lhasa have resumed their normal lives, the chairman said.

Editor:Zhang Ning