Click to play videoNew Delhi: Six Buddhist monks were among 30 people sentenced by a Chinese court on Tuesday to jail terms ranging from three years to life for taking part in the deadly riots in Tibet.
The punishments were the first to be meted out by a Chinese court against Tibetans accused of taking part in a frenzy of assaults, burning, looting and vandalism mainly targeting Han Chinese and their businesses in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and nearby areas between March 14-16.
China blamed the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile for plotting the riots, which according to Beijing killed 18 "innocent civilians." However, the Dalai Lama has denied the accusations.
The violence and subsequent government crackdown drew worldwide attention to China's human rights record and its rule in Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
The sentences were announced during two sessions of a one-day trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Lhasa, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
China Central Television's evening newscast showed the convicts being led out by police with bowed heads in front of a packed courtroom.
Xinhua said three men received life sentences, including a Buddhist monk identified as Basang who allegedly led 10 people, including five other monks, to destroy local government offices, burn down shops and attack policemen.
The quick trials and their prominent coverage by state media signalled China's resolve in putting a firm lid on Tibetan dissent ahead of the Olympic Games.
(With agency inputs)
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