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Violence leaves residents in shock

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-23-2008 09:41

Special Report:   3.14 Tibet Riots

Life in Lhasa in the meantime has returned to normal. But the violence and the sabotage of the rioters have left many people in a state of shock.

Life in Lhasa in the meantime has returned to normal. But the violence and the sabotage of the rioters have left many people in a state of shock.
Life in Lhasa in the meantime has returned to normal.
But the violence and the sabotage of the rioters have
left many people in a state of shock.

36-year old Maa Yingshe runs a restaurant. She could never have foreseen the disaster which happened just 15 days after she opened for business.

Maa Yingshe said "Twenty or thirty people broke into my restaurant carrying sticks, knives and stones. We were upstairs. Seven or eight people came up after they destroyed the first floor. They pushed me out of the window."

Maa Yingshe was thrown from the second floor, severely injuring her back. Doctors say she must stay in bed for at least half a year, and she may be paralyzed for life. To make things worse, rioters also burnt 360,000 yuan which was a bank loan for her business.

Maa Yingshe said "My children are poor. They can't go to school. My family is too poor to pay the 360 thousand loan back. I will never recover from my injury.What can I do? I just want to die."

The rioters also attacked 33-year-old Ma Shusha with a knife. He was wounded in the neck and almost lost his life. He is of course shaken by the memory of the attack but says he still loves the city where he has lived for 15 years.

Life in Lhasa in the meantime has returned to normal. But the violence and the sabotage of the rioters have left many people in a state of shock.
Life in Lhasa in the meantime has returned to normal.
But the violence and the sabotage of the rioters have
left many people in a state of shock.

Ma Shusha said "I don't think things like this should happen in such a good society. I saw innocent people injured and cars were burnt. Things like that are not supposed to happen. I hope our government will severely punish the rioters."

The Tibet regional government says eighteen civilians and one police officer were killed in the unrest that rocked Lhasa last week.

And law enforcement authorities in Tibet issued a notice last Saturday, urging those who broke the law during the riots to cease their unlawful activities. The authorities also offered leniency to those who surrendered. The number of rioters who have given themselves up to police has climbed to 183.

 

Editor:Xiong Qu