Two more suspects arrested for deadly arson cases in Lhasa riots

BEIJING - Two suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in two arson cases in the recent Lhasa riots which led to the deaths of two innocent victims, China's Ministry of Public Security said here on Tuesday.

The two men, both 27 years old, are named Tanzen and Losang Gyaltsen, respectively, according to a report from the Tibet Autonomous Region public security bureau.

"Both suspects have confessed to their crimes," said ministry spokesman Wu Heping.

Around 2 p.m. on March 14, Tanzen allegedly participated in such criminal activities as randomly assaulting passersby, vandalizing properties, looting and arson in the neighborhood of Duosengge Road in the Tibetan capital.

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He set fire to several shops and used a lighter to burn pants in a garment store named Playboy. The fire killed the shop owner's 20-year-old daughter, Liu Juan, Wu said.

On the same day, Losang Gyaltsen set fire to a pants store called Hongyu on the Youth Road in Lhasa. His actions caused the death of 45-year-old shop owner Zuo Rencun.

Losang Gyaltsen also collaborated with others in looting and burning an outlet of the garment brand Metersbonwe and a Snow Spider shoe store.

Wu said an investigation of the two was still underway.

The ministry has now made public four deadly arson cases -- those in a Yishion outlet, a motorcycle shop, the Playboy garment store and the Hongyu pants store -- that led to the deaths of 12 civilians.

A firefighting truck is burnt down by rioters in Lhasa March 14, 2008 [Xinhua]

According to the ministry spokesman, apart from the cases already known to the public, six more people were found to have been killed in the March 14 riots.

They are:

He Jianshu, male, 60, Han ethnic group, from the southwest Sichuan Province;

Lhapa Tsering, male, 30, Tibetan ethnic group, from Lhasa, Tibet.

Wangdu Dargye, male, 24, Tibetan ethnic group, from Damxung County of Lhasa, Tibet.

A male surnamed Gao, 30, Han ethnic group, from the northwest Gansu Province.

Another two males killed in the riots have not yet been identified. Local police were making further investigations, Wu said.

To date, the deadly riot has claimed the lives of 18 civilians and one police officer.

Video: Five shop girls burnt to death in Lhasa riot