BACK TO SCHOOL:On March 17, students of the No.1 Primary School in Lhasa return to school after days of rioting that disrupted lessons (GALSANG)

March 17 was a normal workday for Deyang, Principal of the Jipenggang Primary School in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Seeing all 100 teachers and most of the 1,500 students, accompanied by their parents, arrive at school in the morning made him feel relieved, as the street where the school is located was one of the worst-hit areas during the recent rioting in the plateau city.

"Rioters attacked the front and back doors of the school with stones, and didn't stop even after they knew it was a school," he told China Central Television.

The rioting Deyang talked about broke out on March 14. At around 11:00 a.m., according to Tibet Autonomous Region Government Chairman Qiangba Puncog, some monks at Ramoche Monastery attacked police officers on patrol with stones. Afterward, some rioters converged on Barkor Street and chanted separatist slogans. They engaged in reckless beating, looting, smashing and arson and their activities soon spread to other parts of the city.

These people focused on street-side shops, primary and middle schools, hospitals, banks, power and communications facilities and media organizations. They set fire to passing vehicles, they chased after and beat passengers on the street, and they launched assaults on shops, telecommunication service outlets and government buildings. Their behavior has caused severe damage to the life and property of local people, and seriously undermined law and order in Lhasa.

Earlier on March 10, more than 300 monks from the Zhaibung Monastery ventured into downtown Lhasa. The monks, who supposedly stood for peace, were invective and aggressive, and confronted the security forces, according to Xinhua.

In the Sera Monastery, 10 monks held up flags of the so-called Tibetan exile government and shouted "Tibetan independence." In the ensuing days, a few monks chanted "independence" slogans and challenged officers who were maintaining order.

"Thirteen innocent civilians were burned or stabbed to death in the riot in Lhasa on March 14, and 61 police officers were injured, six of them seriously wounded," said Qiangba Puncog at a news briefing in Beijing on March 17, when the situation in Lhasa has been basically put under control.

Statistics also show that rioters set fire to more than 300 locations, including residential houses and 214 shops, and smashed and burned 56 vehicles.

At least 373 business people had reported damages from the riot, with losses exceeding 99.1 million yuan (about $14 million) as of March 18, according to the regional department of commerce.

Businesses in Lhasa began reopening since March 18. Schools, factories and government institutions have also resumed operation. The main streets in the downtown areas, which were scattered with rubbish and rocks, got busy again with buses, taxies and bicycles.

Who is behind?

“The Dalai clique masterminded, planned and carefully organized the riot.”

--Qiangba Puncog, Tibet Autonomous Region Government Chairman, said at the news briefing on March 17 (SHI GANG)