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Beijing: China issued a "most wanted" list of 21 rioters on Friday, shown in grainy photos waving knives and fighting during last week's violence over Chinese rule in Tibet, while thousands of troops continued to push into western China to contain unrest.
China's response to last week's riots in Lhasa drew world attention to its human rights record and threatens to overshadow its attempts to project an image of unity and prosperity ahead of the August 8-24 Olympics in Beijing.
China's official news agency issued an updated casualty toll late on Friday for the unrest in Lhasa. Xinhua said 18 civilians and one police officer died and 623 people were injured.
On Friday, Chinese authorities intensified a manhunt for the wanted suspects, posting their photos, taken from video cameras and security footage, on major internet portals.
Shown under the heading of "Lhasa Public Security Bureau's Wanted List of Criminal Suspects," the 21 people are accused of endangering national security, and cited for beating, smashing, looting and arson.
One suspect is shown wielding a long sword and another is a mustached man who had been shown on news programs slashing another man with a foot-long blade.
Two of the 21 suspects had reportedly already been arrested and a third turned himself in. Authorities called on the public for help, offering rewards for information and guaranteeing the anonymity of tipsters.
So far, police have arrested a total of 24 people and 170 others turned themselves in, reports said.
The protests in Lhasa, a stunning show of defiance against 57 years of Chinese rule, sparked sympathy demonstrations in neighboring provinces, prompting Beijing to deploy thousands of troops across a wide swath of western China where more than half of China's 5.4 million Tibetans live.
Moving from town to town, police set up blockades and checkpoints to keep Tibetans in and journalists out. The mobilisation helped authorities reassert control after protests flared in Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
In Lhasa on Friday, residents said police were patrolling the streets and people were free to go where they wanted as long as they had identity cards.
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