Overseas Tibetan activists claim eight people died a few days ago when police fired on demonstrators in western China.
Chinese state media reports that one government official suffered serious injuries in what it described as a riot.
The violence happenedThursday in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province near Tibet, according to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign and the International Campaign for Tibet.
Buddhist monks and ordinary citizens had marched on government offices to protest the arrest of two monks, the groups said.
On Saturday, Radio Free Asia -- funded by the U.S. government -- said it had unconfirmed reports that up to 15 people had been killed and dozens others injured in the violence.
Local police and hospitals in the area did not return calls from The Associated Press on Saturday. Officials who could be reached said they had no information.
China's official Xinhua News Agency said that police were "forced to fire warning shots and put down the violence."
The India-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy claimed Saturday that two monks committed suicide last month in Sichuan's Aba County.
The group said both deaths could be linked to Chinese oppression.
The information can't be independently verified because China has banned foreign reporters from the region.
Chinese state media reported Saturday that more than one million people had signed an online petition accusing some western news organization of bias in covering Tibetan unrest. CNN and the BBC were specifically named.
On Saturday, the Tibetan Daily newspaper reported that the government wants to boost its "patriotic education" campaign.
The campaign would require Tibetan Buddhist monks to renounce the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader, and declare loyalty to Beijing.
The activist groups claim Thursday's unrest stems from government attempts to conduct patriotic education at the monastery in Garze.
France and Olympics
While the Olympic torch run passed through St. Petersburg, Russia, a French newspaper reported that France's president is considering a boycott of the opening ceremonies.
Human Rights Minister Rama Yade told Le Monde that President Nicolas Sarkozy requires three conditions to attend.
"An end to violence against the population and the liberation of political prisoners; light shed on the events in Tibet; and the opening of a dialogue with the Dalai Lama," Yade was quoted as telling Le Monde.
Sarkozy himself has only said he can't "close the door to any possibility" when asked about boycotting the Aug. 8 ceremony.
With files from The Associated Press
