Chinese officials vowed on Monday to "unwaveringly" protect their territory as they clamped down on protests following the deaths of at least 13 people in Tibet.

The comment by a Foreign Ministry spokesman was the first by the central government since Tibetan protests against Chinese rule began on March 10.

Tibetan Gov. Champa Phuntsok speaks during a news conference in Beijing on Monday.
(Oded Balilty/Associated Press)

"The Chinese government will unwaveringly protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Liu Jianchao said.

Tibet's governor has said 13 people were killed by mob violence in the main city of Lhasa. Tibetan exiles, however, pegged the death toll at 80 protesters and blamed violence and a government crackdown.

Jianchao also accused Tibetan independence supporters in other countries of using violent acts to break through police cordons and into Chinese embassies and consulates.

"Tibetan independence forces used violent acts to break through police cordons in foreign countries and break into Chinese embassies and consulates," Liu said. He called on international governments to increase security of its missions.

He said the "atrocities of the Tibetan independence forces manifested … the hypocrisy and deceit of its peace and non-violence propaganda."

In Beijing, students staged a sit-down demonstration on Monday. Others held sympathy protests around the world, mostly outside Chinese diplomatic missions.

Calm returning to Lhasa: governor

Earlier on Monday, Tibet's governor Champa Phuntsok said order was being restored in the Tibetan capital after days of peaceful protests escalated into violence on Friday.

"Calm has returned to Lhasa and society has returned to a state of normality," Champa Phuntsok said.

He disputed reports by Tibetan exiles who claimed that at least 80 people died in the violence and government crackdown.

Champa Phuntsok said 13 "innocent civilians" were killed, along with three who died jumping out of buildings to avoid arrest, and that dozens of people were injured.

He said violent mobs were responsible for the deaths, claiming they hacked and burned people to death.

He said the mob poured gasoline and set people on fire and cut a piece of flesh out of a policeman's buttocks.

Guns weren't fired: governor

Government forces used great restraint, he said.

"I can tell you as a responsible official that guns were absolutely not fired," he said.

Champa Phuntsok blamed the government in exile of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, for orchestrating the violence.

"This was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique, and it was created under the collusion of Tibet independence separatist forces both inside and outside China," he said without giving any details.

"Those activities were aimed at splitting the country, were aimed at undermining ethnic community and undermining social harmony and stability in Tibet."

The Dalai Lama called on Sunday for an international investigation into the crackdown against protesters, saying the region is facing "cultural genocide."

The government has issued an end-of-Monday deadline for people involved in the violent protests to surrender, saying they would face severe punishment otherwise. Champa Phuntsok said he did not know if any protesters had turned themselves in.

With files from the Associated Press