(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-09 23:38

LANZHOU - A total of 2,204 people, including 519 monks, have surrendered to police in connection with riots in an ethnic Tibetan area of northwestern China last month, an official said on Wednesday.

Police had released 1,870 of those people, including 413 monks, who were guilty of minor offenses, said Mao Shengwu, acting chief of the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.

Police had formally arrested eight people suspected of participating in the riots and put another 432, including 170 monks, in temporary custody, Mao told a group of Chinese and foreign journalists.

Some suspects were being interrogated according to law, but some people wanted in connection with the riots were yet to be found, Mao said.

The situation in the prefecture had been brought under control and normal public life had resumed, Mao said.

From March 14 to 19, assaults, vandalism, looting and arson occurred in six areas in Gannan, leaving 94 people injured and incurring 230 million yuan (US$32.8 million) in damages.

The injured included 64 police, 27 armed police, two government officials and one civilian, according to local government.