Police on Wednesday said they have now seized guns and explosives in 11 monasteries in a Tibetan-populated prefecture in the northwestern province of Gansu.

In the past two days, local police found three rifles, 571 bullets, 10 kilograms of dynamite, five detonators and 38 satellite receivers in 11 key monasteries in Jone and Xiahe counties, and Hezuo City in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

From March 14-19, assaults, vandalism, looting and arson occurred in the Xiahe, Maqu, Luqu, Jone, Hezuo and Diebu areas of Gannan, leaving 94 people injured and causing 230 million yuan (32.8 million US dollars) in damage

So far, 2,204 people, including 519 monks, have surrendered to police in connection with the Gannan riots, officials have said. Police have so far released 1,870 of those people, including 413 monks, who were guilty of only minor offenses.

Conditions in the prefecture had returned to normal, the local government said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2008)