The riot in Lhasa is by nature a violent crime masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique from abroad, said a veteran Tibetan official on Wednesday.

Ragdi, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or China's top legislature, made the remark at a meeting of the second Counseling Committee on Development of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

"A handful of lawless people smashed, looted and torched during the riot in Lhasa. The violent crime has seriously disturbed the social order," said Ragdi.

In the riot erupted in Tibet's capital Lhasa on the afternoon of last Friday, violent rioters injured and even killed innocent people on the street with extremely crude means.

One of the two most shocking brutalities accounted by a senior Tibetan official on Monday -- a civilian was doused in gasoline by rioters and burned to death and vandals beat a patrol policeman unconscious, and then cut a fist-sized piece of flesh from his buttocks.

Official figures show that the lawless people set fires at more than 300 locations, mostly private houses, stores and schools, where they also smashed vehicles and public facilities.

The Tibetan regional government said a total of 105 people had surrendered themselves to police by Tuesday for their involvement in the riot that killed 13 innocent people.

(Xinhua News Agency, March 19, 2008)