BEIJING, Feb 20 (AFP) - International human rights groups responded Thursday to Deng Xiaoping's death by reminding the world of the darker chapters in the Chinese patriach's life notably the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and Tibet.

While world leaders eulogised Deng's economic and social reforms, organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Tibet pointed to a legacy of appalling political and religious repression.

"The Deng era has changed the face of China, but human rights improvements have lagged far behind economic reform," said Rory Mungoven, director of Amnesty's Asia-Pacific programme.

"Deng will be remembered for beginning the overhaul of China's economic system and consequent legal reform. But his legacy also includes a well-oiled machinery for repression, where the law is used as a weapon against dissent," Mungoven said.

Deng, 92, died in Beijing on Wedneday evening from respiratory failure brought on by advanced Parkinson's disease.

His achievement in dragging China out of its isolationist shell and into one of the world's fastest growing economies will always be tarnished by his role in the brutal crushing of the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing.

Deng also commanded the Chinese troops who took control of Tibet in 1951.

China then put down an abortive uprising in 1959, prompting the Dalai Lama to flee to India, where he remains in exile.

"He will be remembered for his role in the 1989 massacre, and for maintaining a policy of tight political control with severe restrictions on human rights," the Washington-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement.

"Deng gave the ultimate order for the troops to move into Beijing. As chairman of the Central Military Commission, he had that authority," HRW said, noting that Deng had publicly congratulated the military commanders who took part in the Tiananmen crackdown.

The Chinese government has never given a full casualty list for the June 4 massacre, but some foreign observers have put the death toll as high as 1,000.

Both Amnesty and HRW urged the Chinese leadership to improve China's human rights record during the post-Deng transition period and beyond, with Amnesty stressing the importance of rights guarantees in Hong Kong.

"It is vitally important that the autonomy and safeguards for human rights which were built into Hong Kong's transition plan under Deng's oversight remain in place."

China is currently locked in a bitter dispute with Britain over Beijing's plans to dilute human rights legislation in Hong Kong after the territory reverts to Chinese rule on July 1.

Another group, the New York-based Human Rights in China called for an amnesty for all political prisoners in China "to correct the wrongdoing of the past and give the future government a good start."

Deng's death "could be a catalyst for change since his position was that there would be no change during his lifetime," said spokesman Xiao Qiang.

Meanwhile the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) denounced the damage Deng had wrought in the Himalayan region.

"Deng was never willing to admit that the policies he pushed for regarding Tibet were wrong, because he knew his reputation his 'face' was at stake," ICT president Lodi Gyari said.

"Deng's death provides new opportunites and challenges for both the Tibetans and the Chinese. How each side will play their hand in the post Deng era remains an open question," Gyari said, urging President Jiang Zemin and the rest of the central leadership to find "a new approach."

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, offered an ambivalent assessment of his long-time adversary, saying the question of whether Deng's life benefitted China or not had to be answered by "unbiased" historical research.

"Only then will it become clear how much of the result of his work has been good or bad," the Dalai Lama said.

"I have nothing special to say about this," he added.