A/HRC/13/40/Add.1 been released. Those whose situations are more serious, the Government added, shall have their criminal responsibility investigated in accordance with the law. 16. The Government indicated that the aforementioned serious violent criminal events had been carefully plotted in advance and instigated by the Dalai clique. The Government emphasized that, in their handling of the entire incident, the competent authorities of the Tibet Autonomous Region and other areas showed great restraint; they enforced the law in a civilized manner, and they enjoyed broad popular support. The Government argued, however, that some people at the international level had distorted the facts, creating untrue news stories and providing the United Nations special procedures with inaccurate information. 17. The Government stressed that Tibetan affairs were part of China’s internal affairs; nevertheless, in an effort to help the special procedures learn the truth about these events and to prevent the Dalai clique and anti-China elements from exploiting them, the competent authorities had thoroughly investigated the incidents described in the aforementioned letters and the Government provided the following details: • The truth about the violent criminal events: In mid-March 2008, a series of serious violent criminal acts took place in the city of Lhasa, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Starting on 10 March 2008, a group of lawbreakers, acting without authorization, gathered illegally to create a disturbance; when police officers arrived to dissuade them, in accordance with the law, they clashed with them, cursing them and violently attacking the officers with clubs, rocks and knives. At approximately 11 a.m. on 14 March 2008, some monks at the Ramoche Temple threw stones at the police officers on duty. Subsequently, a group of rioters began to gather in Barkhor Street, shouting separatist slogans and wantonly beating, smashing and looting. The situation quickly spread. The lawbreakers smashed and burned shops, primary and secondary schools, hospitals, banks, electrical and communications installations and news agencies along the main streets of Lhasa and set fire to cars, chased and beat pedestrians, and attacked stores, telecommunications and Internet outlets and Government offices. The rioters’ savage behaviour during these incidents resulted in the slashing or burning to death of 18 innocent persons, including an infant less than one year old; 382 innocent persons were also injured, 58 of them seriously. The rioters set fire to over 300 sites, burning down 7 schools, 5 hospitals, more than 1,300 stores and 120 homes, causing extensive loss of human life and property, and occasioning a direct economic loss of 280 billion yuan renminbi. Public order in the affected area was severely disrupted. All ethnic minorities in Tibet expressed their great indignation at and severe criticism of the violent criminal acts that took place in Lhasa. The Tibet Autonomous Region quickly organized the police and other relevant agencies to put out the fires, provide aid to the injured and reinforce the security provided to schools, hospitals, banks and Government offices. The Chinese Government and the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region took these measures to protect law and order and social stability, and to safeguard the human rights of all ethnic groups in Tibet. In dealing with these violent criminal incidents and restoring law and public order in accordance with the law, the competent Chinese and Tibetan Government authorities exercised the utmost restraint. While enforcing the law they consistently acted in a lawful and civilized manner; they did not carry or use any lethal or injurious weapons. The People’s Liberation Army was not involved in the efforts to quell these violent criminal incidents. At 11 a.m. on 16 March 2008, more than 300 monks in Aba, Sichuan Province, assaulted and beat police officers, handing out inflammatory flyers and shouting separatist slogans; they threw rocks and homemade Molotov cocktails at the police and went on a rampage of smashing and burning. At 3 p.m., a group of monks joined with other rioters to once again strike Government facilities, schools and police stations, 8