Rome (AsiaNews) - Although denied by Beijing, the violent repression of the demonstrators and Tibetan monks is illustrated by a series of particularly violent photos, sent to the West by Tibetan dissidents.  These are particularly harsh images, sent from the monastery of Kirti to the Free Tibet Campaign.

The photos were taken last March 16, in the autonomous Tibetan province of Amdo, which currently is part of the northern Chinese province of Sichuan.  According to the Free Tibet Campaign, the massacre began after the religious of the monastery of Kirti chanted slogans in favour of "free Tibet" and the Dalai Lama.  The monks were joined by 400 Buddhist nuns and the students of the local Tibetan middle school.

The Chinese police, which had been watching the monastery since the beginning of the protests (last March 10), opened fire on the crowd.  According to information from the Tibetan government in exile, about 20,000 Tibetans of Sichuan have protested in solidarity with the Tibetan monks.  Of the 20 certified victims of the repression, 9 have been identified: among these are young men of 15 and 17 years old.