Sichuan official denies riot reports

A Sichuan official yesterday denied foreign media reports that Buddhist monks had rioted in the province. According to the reports, some monks in Aba protested on Sunday morning when local officials stopped them as they gathered to pray at the Sey monastery. The reports cited the International Campaign for Tibet, based in Washington DC, which did not identify any sources.

"My colleagues at home have told me over the phone that there was no such thing," said Wu Zegang, head of the Tibetan-Qiang autonomous prefecture of Aba, who is in Beijing to attend the annual session of the National People's Congress.

Xinhua