DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) — Tibet's prime minister-in-exile said Monday that around 100 people have died in unrest in the Chinese-ruled region, while the Tibetan parliament reported hundreds killed.
"It's very difficult to have precise numbers, but I think it's almost close to the number of 100," Samdhong Rinpoche told reporters in Dharamshala, home to the Dalai Lama and the seat of the exiled Tibetan government and parliament.
"We are requesting the international community and the United Nations send delegations or commissions inside Tibet," he added.
The Tibetan parliament in the northern Indian hilltop town said in a statement it believed "hundreds" of Tibetans had died.
"The massive demonstrations that started from March 10 in the capital city of Lhasa and other regions of Tibet, resulting (in the) death of hundreds of Tibetans, and subsequent use of force... needs to be brought to the attention of the United Nations and the international community," the statement said.
China has rejected charges many have died in the unrest, saying on Monday that Tibetan rioters killed 13 "innocent civilians" during violent protests in Lhasa, and that it did not use lethal force to quell the rioting.
The parliament statement said exiled leaders in Dharamshala had formed an "information monitoring committee" to gather information from inside Tibet following days of unrest and a Chinese crackdown.
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