A man lies injured in Lhasa, Tibet, during protests on Friday. (AP)

Beijing, March 15 (Reuters): China today gave Tibetan independence protesters an ultimatum to surrender after riots in Lhasa which killed at least 10 people in the worst unrest in the region for two decades.

The tough response by the Chinese authorities came after fierce protests yesterday which contradicted China’s claims of stability and tarnished a carefully-nurtured image of national harmony as it readies to stage the Olympic Games in August. The official Tibetan judicial authorities gave protesters until Monday night to turn themselves in and benefit from leniency.

“Criminals who do not surrender themselves by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law,” said a notice on the Tibetan government website (www.tibet.gov.cn).

International pressure mounted on Beijing to show restraint. Australia, the US and Europe urged the Chinese authorities to find a peaceful outcome, while Taiwan, which China claims as its own, predictably condemned Beijing for launching a crackdown.

Xinhua news agency said 10 “innocent civilians” had been shot or burnt to death in the street clashes in the remote, mountain capital which has been sealed off. The dead included two persons killed by shotguns.

A western tourist said that Lhasa itself was like a ghost town today, though it was packed with Chinese soldiers. Many Tibetans had tied white prayer scarves to their doors in a gesture of protest.

China has accused followers of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of engineering the unrest in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. The Olympic torch relay will pass through Tibet in a few weeks time.

The riots emerged from a volatile mix of pre-Olympics protests, diplomatic friction over Tibet and local discontent with the harsh ways of the region’s communist party leaders. The protests, the worst since 1989 in the disputed region, have thrust China’s role as Olympic host and its policy towards Tibet back into the international spotlight.

A rash of angry blog posts appeared after the deaths were confirmed. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a Buddhist and an activist for Tibetan causes, suggested an Olympic boycott.

Official statements suggested the government reaction in coming days would be tough.