Beijing: China today claimed to have seized explosives and lethal weapons from six monasteries in a Tibetan-populated prefecture in Gansu province, as Beijing insisted that the "barrier to dialogue" was on the side of the Dalai Lama.

Police seized a gun, 10 kgs of dynamite, five detonators and seven knives in a major monastery and five bullets in another during an inspection at Hezuo in Gannan Autonour Prefecture, the provincial government said.

In Xiahe county, five knives and 11 flags of "Tibetan-government-in exile" were confiscated from four monasteries

Officials said 2,204 people, including 519 monks, had "surrendered" to police following the violence in Gannan which left 94 people injured.

But 1,870 of them, including 413 monks, had been released as they had committed only minor offences, Xinhua news agency quoted officials as saying.

The seizures came three days after the Chinese police said they have detained nine monks for exploding a homemade bomb in a Tibetan township government building during anti-government protests at Gyanbe in Qambo prefecture.

Meanwhile Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said government was exerting "maximum patience" to maintain contact with the Dalai Lama.

"Our position towards the Dalai Lama is consistent and clear cut. The government has been exerting maximum patience to maintain contact with the Dalai Lama. The barrier now is not on our side but on the Dalai side", Jiang told reporters here.

Source : PTI