A total of 2,204 people, including 519 monks, have surrendered to police in connection with Gannan riots. Police had released 1,870 of those people, including 413 monks, who were guilty of minor offenses.

Police had formally arrested eight people suspected of participating in the riots and put another 432, including 170 monks, in temporary custody, according to Mao.

The situation in the prefecture had been brought under control and normal public life had resumed, Mao said. However, he said the prefecture would open to foreign tourists and journalists only when it was considered safe to do so as a handful of rioters were still at large.

From March 14 to 19, assaults, vandalism, looting and arson occurred in the Xiahe, Maqu, Luqu, Jone, Hezuo and Diebu areas of Gannan, leaving 94 people injured and incurring 230 million yuan (32.8 million U.S. dollars) in damages.

A group of monks disrupted a media briefing at the Johkang Temple on March 27 when reporters from 19 media organizations including foreign ones paid a three-day visit to Lhasa after the violence on March 14.

Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region government, told press Wednesday in Beijing that the lamas were not punished.

"I think it is natural for some lamas to have their own opinions and talk to the media," said Qiangba Puncog. "But what they said is not true."

"They are still in Johkang Temple and will be if they do not participate in any law-breaking activities such as beating, smashing, robbing and burning," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2008)