30 Sentenced In China Over Protests

BEIJING — A Chinese court yesterday sentenced 30 people to jail for their alleged participation in last month's deadly riot in Lhasa, the first convictions following an aggressive manhunt to find the leaders of anti-government protests that swept through Tibetan areas on China's western plateau.

Those convicted will serve terms that range from three years to life in prison, state press and broadcast outlets reported. More than 200 people attended the "open trial," according to the state press, although it was unclear if any of the accused had legal representation. Foreign journalists are barred from reporting in Tibet.

China's handling of Tibetan unrest has drawn protests around the world, most visibly along the route of the Olympic torch. Its "journey of harmony" became a path of international confrontation as the torch traveled this month through 19 cities on its way to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games.

Authorities in Tibet have moved swiftly to arrest hundreds believed to be involved in the protests and to dispatch with their trials, as officials prepare for the most controversial leg of the torch run — over Mount Everest, through Tibet, and into its capital, Lhasa. Weather permitting, the torchbearers should make their ascent in the next few days. A small group of journalists allowed to cover the event arrived at the Everest base camp Monday.

It is unclear how many others are awaiting trial in Lhasa. The deputy head of the Lhasa police, Jiang Zaiping, told Chinese reporters last week that 170 are on a "wanted list" and 82 of those have been arrested. The chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region government, Qiangba Puncog, told reporters at a news conference in Beijing earlier this month that 403 people had been arrested in connection with the March 14 riot.

Pro-Tibetan protests, some violent, broke out in several western Chinese provinces following the Lhasa riot and exile groups say as many as 2,300 people have been arrested. That figure could not be independently verified.

[Also yesterday, the Associated Press reported that a wide-ranging group of American Jewish leaders plans to release a statement today, urging Jews worldwide to boycott the Summer Olympics in Beijing, citing China's troubling record on human rights and Tibet.

The statement also notes China's close relationships with Iran, Syria, and the militant group Hamas.

So far, 175 rabbis, seminary officials, and other prominent Jews have signed the declaration, which comes shortly before Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday, organizers said.]