Beijing: Tibetans in China's mountainous southwestern province of Sichuan today disputed the government's claim that nobody was killed in anti-Chinese riots there this week, saying they believed several died.

China's official Xinhua news agency said overnight police shot and wounded four protesters this week in a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of the province, where protests broke out after anti-Chinese riots in neighbouring Tibet last Friday.

The protests have alarmed China, which is keen to put its best face forward leading up to the Olympic Games in Beijing in August.

Having initially said four protesters were shot dead in Sichuan, Xinhua amended its account and said they were wounded and that the police had fired weapons only to defend themselves.

But two residents of Aba prefecture, where the rioting started on Sunday, said they believed several died when the protesters attacked a police station and government offices, burnt cars and attacked officials.

Anti-riot troops then moved in. They said police had detained many men suspected of rioting. Everyone here believes that our people died, maybe 10 or more, said one ethnic Tibetan resident.

"I am not a supporter of violence and I oppose attacking people just because they are Han," he said, referring to the country's majority Han Chinese population.

Source : UNI