These were the first convictions following the anti-government protests that turned violent in Tibet's regional capital on March 14 - the biggest challenge to Chinese rule in the Himalayan region in nearly two decades.

The Buddhist monk, identified as Basang, led 10 people, including five other monks, to destroy local government offices, burn down shops and attack policemen, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the five monks in the group, two were sentenced to 20 years in jail, while the other three were sentenced to 15 years' jail.

The Intermediate People's Court of Lhasa announced the sentences at an open session, Xinhua said.

Another man who received a life sentence was identified as Soi'nam Norbu, a driver for a Lhasa real estate company who joined the mobs that burnt vehicles, smashed police stations and assaulted firefighters during the riots, Xinhua said.

He was convicted of arson and disrupting public services, the court said.

No information was given about the third person jailed for life.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that seven people were sentenced to 15 years in prison, while another 20 received sentences of between three and 14 years. The charges included arson, robbery, interruption of law enforcement and theft.

'I believe competent authorities...will handle them according to the law in a fair and just way,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said yesterday when asked about the trial.

China's state broadcaster reported that 200 people attended the trial.

It is unclear how many more people are facing prosecution for their roles in the unrest last month.

China has said that 22 people died in the riots, while Tibet's government-in-exile announced yesterday that at least 203 Tibetans were killed in the ensuing crackdown.

Xinhua reported that seven schools, five hospitals and 120 homes were torched in the Lhasa violence, and more than 900 shops were looted. Total damage was more than 244 million yuan (S$48 million).

After weeks of international pressure by the United States and European Union, and volatile sentiments in Tibetan-dominated areas, China announced last week that it would be willing to begin talks with a representative of the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet whom Beijing has blamed for fomenting the unrest.

Yesterday, the Foreign Ministry's Ms Jiang urged the Dalai Lama to 'cherish' the opportunity of the planned new talks.

'We hope the Dalai can cherish this opportunity... and change his position to take concrete measures to stop his criminal acts of violence, stop his sabotage of the Beijing Olympics and his separatist activities,' she told reporters.

But she added that 'specifics of the contact and consultation have yet to be further discussed'.

Just days before the Olympic torch is due to return to Chinese soil, police in the southern province of Guangdong raided a factory producing Tibetan independence flags.

In a raid on April 20, police discovered thousands of the flags packed and ready for shipment, with many more being made to fulfil an overseas order, Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper reported.

Police believe the flags could have been destined for Hong Kong, and were ordered by pro-Tibet groups.

The factory owners were detained. They told police they did not know the flags signified Tibetan independence.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE