2008 Tibetan unrest

Yellow designates regions that have a large Tibetan population

The 2008 Tibetan unrest began with demonstrations on March 10 2008 (Tibetan Uprising Day), the 49^th anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against the Communist Party's rule. The protests soon shifted from calls for independence to violence, attacks on non-Tibetan ethnic groups, rioting, burning and looting on March 14 when monks were arrested during peaceful demonstrations.

While political tension, socio-economic issues (comparative economic success of non-Tibetan ethnic groups and rising inflation) and anger over rumours of the arrest of monks was originally thought to have led to the riots, later evidence gathered by Britain's GCHQ, the government communications agency that electronically monitors global communications, indicated that the riots were actually started by agents provocateurs organized by the Chinese government.

The protests are said to be one of the largest agitation and protests against the Chinese government's rule in 20 years. The unrest happened in the week when major local government leaders were away for the annual National People's Congress in Beijing.

Information is scarce as Chinese authorities have prevented foreign and Hong Kong media from entering and reporting on the region, with the exception of James Miles, a correspondent from The Economist, who gained approval for a week-long trip which happened to coincide with the increase in tensions.

Background

The political situation in Tibet makes the area especially sensitive. The Economist noted that the rioting seemed to be fuelled by ethnic, and religious hatred resulting from outsiders taking over many of the businesses within Tibet. In recent years, many immigrants have been moving into Lhasa and now own many of the city's small businesses. Ethnic Tibetans in Lhasa are also angered by the inflation that has caused the prices of food, and consumer goods to increase, driving families into the streets. Now, the corpses of the homeless are becoming a relatively more and more common sight. A railway built to link Lhasa to other areas of China was suspected by residents of increasing the number of immigrants in the city, but was accepted because the government claimed that it would control inflation in the city. However, like in other parts of the country, prices have continued to rise, creating more tension between residents and the Chinese government.

The 1949 annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China and the failed revolt in 1959 continue to generate tensions. While recognized by most countries and the United Nations, the legitimacy of Chinese sovereignty has been questioned by advocates of Tibetan independence. However the Dalai Lama has excluded independence from consideration, while demanding high-degree autonomy from Beijing.

Violence and protests in Lhasa

Tibet Autonomous Region

An eyewitness stated that police cars, fire engines and other official vehicles were set on fire after anger erupted following the police's dispersal of a peaceful demonstration near a small temple in Lhasa. Police used gunfire and tear gas to break up the protest. "The monks are still protesting. Police and army cars were burned. There are people crying," she said. Tensions in Lhasa have increased as the city's three biggest monasteries were sealed off by thousands of soldiers and armed police amid the largest protests in nearly two decades. Chinese authorities reportedly fired warning shots and used tear gas and electric prods to disperse hundreds of protesters, in addition to detaining up to 50 monks. US embassy officials in Beijing told the Associated Press that U.S. citizens had reported gunfire and rioting in Lhasa. Tibetan exiles quoted in the Times report that at least five people had been killed in police firing by March 15.

Tibetan rioters appeared to be targeting shops and vehicles owned by Han Chinese, the predominant ethnic group in China, and the Hui Muslim minority, who dominate the commerce in the old part of the town. According to the BBC and the Wall Street Journal, rioters focused on setting fire to and looting businesses owned by them; the Wall Street Journal stated that the first-hand accounts of their stories have been relatively rare in Western news reports, in part because of the difficulty of reaching people by phone in Lhasa." Tibetans face similar problems due the strict controls on media reporting of events in Tibetan areas of China. James Miles, in an interview with CNN, made the following assessment, "What I saw was calculated targeted violence against an ethnic group, or I should say two ethnic groups, primarily ethnic Han Chinese living in Lhasa, but also members of the Muslim Hui minority in Lhasa."

Also according to The Economist, "The mobs, ranging from small groups of youths (some armed with traditional Tibetan swords) to crowds of many dozens, including women and children, rampaged through the narrow alleys of the Tibetan quarter. They battered the shutters of shops, broke in and seized whatever they could, from hunks of meat to gas canisters and clothing. Some goods they carried away, while other goods were thrown into large fires lit on the street." Little children could also be seen looting a toyshop as well. The mobs also attacked ethnic Chinese on the streets, including on bus, taxis, and a boy on a bicycle. James Miles reported seeing a Han Chinese teenage boy plead to a monk to help him hide because of the violent mobs around the city.

The Guardian reported that according to an eyewitness account, rioters attacked Han, Muslim Hui and other ethnic minorities. Foreigners were not attacked. With the exception of Tibetan-owned hotels, many other hotels were vandalized and smashed. The foreign eyewitness also reported seeing three rioters stabbing an unconscious man. After the Monday deadline, Chinese police announced on loudspeakers that anyone who took part in the violence and gave themselves up would be treated with leniency.

According to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign, an eye witness inside Lhasa saw rioters set a mosque on fire late on Friday night (March 14), possibly in protest at the increasingly large Hui ethnic community in Lhasa.

Within days of the protest Western tourists emerged from Tibet with graphic descriptions of the level of violence that had occured. Some claimed that they had seen Chinese people, including the elderly, being beaten and stoned to death by groups of Tibetans, supported by the crowd.

Canadian tourist John Kenwood after coming back from Tibet told The Times about the experience: "It's hard to pick a side in what happened, I agree that the Tibetans have their own culture, but I can't agree with what people did. After a while, it was not about Tibetan freedom any more."

In the aftermath of the riot, residents appeared to have mixed reactions to the violence. Some Tibetans celebrated by throwing toilet paper that resembled traditional Tibet scarves over wires across the streets. However, "others appeared aghast at the violence".

The official Chinese media source Xinhua has reported that in Lhasa March 14 "rioters injured 623 people including 241 police and armed police and killed 18 others. They also set fire at more than 300 locations, mostly private houses, stores and schools, smashed vehicles and damaged public facilities."

The official Chinese media has now published details including names and photographs of some of those they say were killed or injured during the rioting.

Protest in other provinces

Gansu protests

Gansu Province

The Tibetan protests spread outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the first time. Demonstrations by ethnic Tibetans and monks took place in the northwest province of Gansu on Saturday, March 15, 2008. The protests were centered around Gansu's Labrang Monastery, which is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastaries outside of Tibet. Demonstrators marched through the streets of Xiahe, a predominantly Tibetan county in Gansu which surrounds the Labrang Monastery, a region referred to by its traditional name, Amdo Golog, by Tibetans. Up to 5,000 demonstrators were reportedly involved in the Gansu protests. There were reports of government offices being damaged by the protesters, and police using tear gas and force to break up the demonstrations. Protestors in Gansu claim the protests were peaceful.

The Tibetan government-in-exile claims that 19 Tibetan protesters were shot dead on March 18.

China's Xinhua News Agency reported the cost of damage in Gansu at an estimated ¥230 million (US$32.7 million).

Qinghai protests

Qinghai Province

Chinese authorities have reportedly arrested twelve Tibetan monks after an incident in the historic region of Rebkong, which is located in the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai. Chinese security forces have reportedly surrounded the Ditsa monastery in Bayan County. Qinghai province borders Tibet and has a large Tibetan population (still known as Amdo according to Tibetans).

The Swiss Newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung publishes an account by a foreign journalist who managed to travel in the region of Xining End of March. Accoring to the reports Tibetan teachers are receiving intimidation calls from the Public Security Bureau (PSB), passports belonging to Tibetans are confiscated to prevent traveling abroad and foreign residents are informed about their possible expulsion in case they get involved in pro-Tibetan activism. Students in the region are receiving one-sided "political teaching". Notwithstanding, Tibetan students of the Medical University of Xining have held demonstrations to express their solidarity with the demonstrators and victims in Lhasa.

Sichuan protests

Sichuan Province

In Sichuan province, in a traditionally Tibetan area called Kham by Tibetans, Tibetan monks and police clashed March 16 in Ngawa county after the monks staged a protest, killing at least one policeman, and setting fire to three or four police vans. The India-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy claimed at least seven people have been shot dead; however the claim could not be independently confirmed.

There are claims that police shot between 13 and 30 protesters after a police station was set on fire, however reports of deaths are impossible to verify because of the restrictions on journalists.

Authorities and security forces in the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, have locked down a Tibetan neighborhood. The neighborhood is located near the Southwest University for Nationalities and the Wuhou Temple. The crackdown comes amid unconfirmed reports of Tibetan protests in that section of Chengdu and a stabbing attack on a Han Chinese man by a Tibetan earlier in the week. Cars and other vehicles are not allowed to drive through the neighborhood, which has a large police presence. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has reported that Chinese authorities have hindered efforts to report from the bases in Chengdu about Tibetan areas of the province.

On March 21, 27 nuns of the Kirty monastery in Aba county were arrested by Chinese military forces. The information was confirmed by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung after phonecalls into the region with locals. Troops also blocked roads in nearby Sertar. The London-based Free Tibet Campaign reported that troops had been sent to the county after residents blew up a bridge near the village of Gudu. Arrests have also been reported from Sertar after security forces cracked down on protests.

On March 25, Chinese state media citing local authorities reported that one police officer was killed as fresh protests erupted in the Tibetan part of Sichuan. The Xinhua news agency said police were "forced to fire warning shots" and had "dispersed the lawless mobsters." The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported that one Tibetan protester had been shot dead by Chinese Police and another was critically injured.

Beijing protests

Beijing Municipality

According to Times Online, in the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, around 100 ethnic Tibetan students organized a sit-in protest in solidarity with the protesters in the historic area of Tibet. Police cordoned off the area, but did not take action against the participants, who sat silently in a circle in the center of the university campus.

The Times reported that students of Tibetan ancestry at schools in Beijing are required to submit written papers specifying their feelings for the Dalai Lama, providing details of their parents, giving details of their own identity card and a written statement guaranteeing not to take part in political activities.

Protests outside China

A pro-Tibet rally outside the Chinese embassy in Paris (16 March)

A pro-Tibet rally outside the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, March 17 2008

File:FreeTibetprotestSeattle2008.jpg

A pro-Tibet rally in Seattle March 15 2008

Australia

Seven pro-Tibet activists were arrested on Saturday, March 15 in Sydney during a chaotic clash with police outside the consulate.

Canada

In Canada, on Monday, March 102008, several members of the Students for a Free Tibet sneaked into a neighbouring property and climbed onto the building of the Consulate General of China in Toronto, Ontario, and replaced the Chinese national flag with the Tibetan flag. Some of the protestors were later detained by the local police. The Consulate General stated that such action violated Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. On Thursday, March 20 2008, approximately 200 - 1000 gathered at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario in peaceful protest in favour of the Tibetan people. The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a dozen other Ministers of Parliament immediately spoke out in support of the protesters. On Sunday 23 March2008, several hundred of Tibetans and supporters protested in downtown Toronto, Ontario.

France

Tear gas was deployed by local riot police in Paris, France on Sunday, March 16 where over 2,500 protesters gathered outside of Chinese embassy on Paris's chic avenue George V. Protesters fought against the police with chains, sticks, pipes, and any other items they might be able to get their hands on, turning the originally peacefull demonstration into a full fledged riot. A demonstrator managed to climb the building and removed the Chinese flag, replacing it with the Tibetan flag. 27 people were in police custody, and several people were sent to emergency rooms, with verying degrees of injuries. over $200,000 of personal property was destroyed, such as tipped and burned cars, mo-peds, and two small local shops.

Germany

Tibetans in Germany stormed the Chinese Consulate in Munich on Monday, March 17. Protesters set the Chinese flag on fire and sprayed slogans including "Save Tibet" and "Stop Killing" on the front door. 26 were detained by local police.

Greece

On March 24 2008, during the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Olympia, a French activist of the French based group Reporters Without Borders managed to breach the security and tried to unfurl a banner behind China's Olympic chief Liu Qi who was making his speech at the moment. The protester was quickly removed by security personnel. Later on, as the torch relay began, another Tibetan woman covered herself with red paint and lay on the ground, forcing torchbearers to weave around her as other protesters shouted "Flame of shame." The Greek government condemned the incident.

Hungary

In Budapest, about 200 people held a protest at the Chinese Embassy. They chanted pro-Tibet slogans, threw rocks and paint-sacks at the building and broke one of its windows. Police arrested two protesters.

Iceland

In Reykjavík, police protected the Chinese Embassy as roughly forty protesters peacefully protested outside, chanting pro-Tibet slogans and waving flags. Numerous Tibetan refugees participated in the protest. The steps leading up to the Chinese Embassy were covered in red paint by a protester, and three members of the political youth organization Ungir Jafnaðarmenn attempted to deliver a letter of disapproval to the Chinese Embassy, which was closed prior to their arrival and surrounded by the police.

India

Tibetans living in the Indian state of Meghalaya closed their businesses and staged demonstrations to protest the Chinese crack down in Tibet.

Hundreds of Tibetan exiles in India marched from the town of Dharamsala to the Indo-Chinese border, to mark their protest against Chinese occupation of Tibet. Indian authorities arrested more than 100 Tibetan protesters. Indian police also arrested a dozen Tibetan exiles attempting to storm the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

Ireland

In Cork City, a small group of protesters demonstrated outside Fitzgeralds Park. Slogans read "Free Tibet".

Italy

In Rome, several hundred Tibetans and Italians held a peaceful candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Embassy.

Japan

In Tokyo, over 100 Tibetans living in Japan and members of a Japanese group supporting Tibetans in exile marched in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, shouting slogans of protest against China on 16 March. It was originally planned as a part of the torch relay for Tibetan Olympics 2008.

On March 22, 2008 over 900 Tibetan exiles and Japanese supporters protested in Roppongi, Tokyo.

Lithuania

In Lithuania, a small group of Lithuanians held a peaceful protest in front of China's embassy in Vilnius on 17 March.

Nepal

44 Tibetan exiles were arrested by Nepali police in Kathmandu on Monday. Police used bamboo batons and tear gas to break up protests outside a UN complex in the latest crackdown on pro-Tibet demonstrations in Nepal. The protesters insisted they were protesting peacefully.

The Netherlands

In The Hague, about 400 protesters attempted to storm the Chinese consulate. They managed to take down the Chinese flag and replace it with the Tibetan flag.

South Korea

In Insadong of Seoul, several citizens gathered for protesting against the Chinese government. Many of them were from one group in particular, called "Friends of Tibet"(티베트의 친구들)

Switzerland

In Zurich, Swiss police fired tear-gas at pro-Tibet demonstrators who tried to storm the Chinese consulate.

United Kingdom

Protesters in London placed placards upon Terracotta Warriors on loan to the British Museum for an exhibition. On March 22, 2008 Tibetan exiles and British supporters protested in London. Security for the Olympic torch relay due to arrive in the UK in April 2008 has been enhanced over fears that it will be hijacked by protesters.

United States

In New York City, more than 100 persons staged a protest outside the United Nations Headquarters. The New York City Police Department said they arrested six pro-Tibet protesters trying to enter the building. In Washington, D.C., two dozen people protested outside the Chinese embassy on March 21.

The Tibetan activist group International Campaign for Tibet, with offices in Washington D.C., Amsterdam and Berlin, feared, on March 28 2008, for the welfare and whereabouts of Tibetan monks who protested at a stage-managed media tour for foreign journalists at the Jokhang Temple, on March 27 2008, by shouting there was no freedom in the riot-torn regions of Lhasa -- Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery -- and a fourth, Ramoche Temple. The vice-governor of Tibet, Baima Chilin, later told reporters the monks would not be punished.

Casualties and fatalities

The US Congress-funded Radio Free Asia quoted witnesses who said they had seen at least two bodies on Lhasa's streets.

China's state-controlled Xinhua News Agency reported early Saturday, March 15, that 10 people so far had been burned to death by rioters, including two hotel employees and two shop owners. It also reported that the victims were all innocent civilians and that most of them were business people.

The Associated Press reported that at a press conference on Monday, March 17, Tibet Autonomous Region governor Champa Phuntsok announced that 16 had been confirmed dead over the weekend's violence and dozens were injured. Other sources published after the same press conference indicate that China put the death toll in Lhasa at 13. The Associated Press claimed later that the Chinese government's official death toll from last week's rioting in Lhasa has risen to 22. Accordingly, the death toll provided by China's official news agency Xinhua has risen to 19.

Tibet's government-in-exile said on Saturday, March 15 that it had received "unconfirmed reports" of as many as 100 deaths due to the unrest in Tibet. Later, the Tibetan exile government said on Sunday that it has confirmed at least 80 deaths.

According to James Miles, The Economist's correspondent in Lhasa, the police fatalities included both Tibetans and the ethnic Han Chinese who were the target of much of the violence. Qiangba Puncog, the head of Tibet's regional government, said that Chinese police did not fire their guns or use anti-personnel weapons against the Tibetan protesters, even though the Tibetans wounded 61 police officers, including six in serious condition, and the Beijing-backed Tibetan regional government reported that 13 innocent civilians have been killed by mobs.

According to eyewitnesses' accounts and testimonies received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), at least 79 Tibetans are known to have died as a direct result of the crackdown. Over 1200 Tibetans have been arrested. More than 100 Tibetans have disappeared.

According to a news source affiliated with a Tibetan exile group, People's Armed Police have blocked off water, electricity, food and health facilities in Sera, Drepung and Ganden monasteries and others active in the demonstrations. As a consequence, monks are suffering starvation, and on March 25th one monk reportedly died from starvation at Ramoche Temple.

Media coverage

See also: Media of the People's Republic of China

According to The Guardian correspondent Tania Branigan, the government has blocked foreign broadcasters and websites and denied journalists access to areas of unrest. Initially, the response was to ignore and then play down protests. However, by Friday, March 14, TV channels aired hours of anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa and the aftermath. Employees at the state television service CCTV's English service were instructed to keep broadcasting footage of burned-out shops and Chinese wounded in attacks. No footages of demonstrators acting peacefully were shown.

Video sharing websites like YouTube, the entire The Guardian website, portions of the Yahoo! portal, and sections of The Times website have all been restricted.

Yahoo! China have published "most wanted" poster across its homepage to help China police to catch 24 Tibetans. MSN! China has published the same list as well.

China's Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, called on the government to "resolutely crush" Tibetan demonstration against Chinese rule. The People's Daily also accused the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration of orchestrating the protests in its commentary.

Chinese newspaper China Daily reported that there has been bias in Western media's coverage of the rioting in Tibet, especially in the captioning and cropping of images. The newspaper pointed out Western media sources such as Washington Post used pictures of baton-wielding Nepalese police in clashes with Tibetan protesters in Kathmandu, claiming that the officers were Chinese police. The article stated that Chinese netizens were angered by what they saw "biased and sometimes dishonest" reporting by Western media. CNN's John Vause, who reported this story, responded the criticism as "...technically it was impossible to include the crashed car on the left..."

On March 24 2008, the German TV news channel RTL disclosed that one photograph depicting rioters had been erroneously captioned. Separately, another German station, n-tv, admitted that it had mistakenly aired footage from Nepal during a story on Chinese riots.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Deutsche Welle (DW) reported that the Chinese government has allowed a small group of foreign journalists on a tour of Tibet. These reporters includes those from the American Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Britain's Financial Times, Japan's Kyodo News Agency, KBS of South Korea, and Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera. The Chinese government organized the three-day media trip to counteract what it called biased Western reporting on the crisis. AFP further reported that Chinese students abroad have set up a website, namely Anti-CNN, to collect evidence of "one-sided and untrue" foreign reporting. Media companies accused of "falsified reporting" include CNN, FOX, the Times Online, Sky News, Spiegel Online and the BBC. Spiegel Online has rejected the accusations in an article.

On March 27th in Lhasa, a protest by a group of monks from the Jokhang Monastery disrupted a media tour organised by Chinese authorities through Lhasa with a short protest. The monks shouted that there was no religious freedom [in Tibet] and that the Dalai Lama was not to blame for Lhasa's recent violence. The tour was the first opportunity given to selected foreign journalists to enter Tibet after the de facto ban on foreign reporters. The delegation was composed of journalists from the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, USA Today, the Arabic news station Al-Jazeera and the Associated Press. The journalists were selected by the Chinese authorities and were kept under close control while in Lhasa. The authorities blamed the limited number of journalists permitted to attend and the restrictions on their movement on logistic considerations.

People's Republic of China response

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao blamed supporters of the Dalai Lama for the recent violence in Tibet. "There is ample fact and we also have plenty of evidence proving that this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," said the Premier; however, the young generation of Tibetans are dissatisfied with the Dalai Lama's insistence on peaceful protest, revealing deep divisions within the Tibetan community.

Riot actions

The People's Republic of China responded by deploying the People's Armed Police. The BBC reported seeing over 400 troop carriers mobilizing into Tibet, which would represent a deployment of up to 4,000 troops. The Chinese authorities have ordered all Hong Kong and foreign journalists to leave Lhasa. According to General Yang Deping, regular military troops from the People's Liberation Army were not deployed.

Chinese authorities are also reportedly concerned that the Tibetan protests could "embolden activists in restive Xinjiang province" to organize street protests as well. The Chinese-backed Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, condemned the unrest, saying "the rioters' acts not only harmed the interests of the nation and the people, but also violated the aim of Buddhism. We resolutely oppose all activities to split the country and undermine ethnic unity. We strongly condemn the crime of a tiny number of people to hurt the lives and properties of the people." However, Gyaincain Norbu has little credibility with the Tibetans as the whereabouts the 6-year-old boy the Dalai Lama identified as the Panchen Lama in 1995 remain unknown.

In addition to sealing off monasteries, an eyewitness at Sera Monastery identified as John claimed, "They were grabbing monks, kicking and beating them". In Ngawa county, Sichuan, police fired at the crowd, which was claimed to be an act of self-defence. According to the Chinese government, four protestors were wounded. In contrast, Tibetan activists have claimed that at least eight people were killed during the demonstration.

CPC and Dalai Lama dialogues

On March 19 2008 Premier Wen Jiabao condemned Dalai Lama's alleged role in the riot, but said the door for dialogue remained open if he renounced Tibetan independence, and if he "recognizes Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of the Chinese territory." The Dalai Lama has repeatedly stated he seeks autonomy, not independence, citing the need for Tibet to develop as a modern nation which can only happen if Tibet remains part of China.

In an interview with Newsweek on March 20 2008 Dalai Lama claimed that up until 1959, the Tibetan attitude toward the Han Chinese was affectionate. He also said that the Chinese communists became more aggressive and more harsh, and that at times Tibetans complained about the "Bad Communists", but never "Bad Chinese". He said he hoped for a better relationship between Tibetans and Chinese, and admitted the relationship in the past has been difficult. The Dalai Lama also revealed that he had received messages from top senior officials within the Chinese Communist Party, in hoping for better dialogue.

International reaction

Tibetan government in exile

• The Dalai Lama, head of the Tibetan government in exile in India, called on the Chinese government to stop using force, and later urged the Tibetans to refrain from violence. He said that if the violence continued, he would resign as leader of the government-in-exile, and reiterated that he is only pursuing greater autonomy for Tibet, as opposed to full independence, which he described as "out of the question".The Dalai Lama March 28 2008 rejected a series of allegations from the Chinese government, saying he does not seek the separation of Tibet and has no desire to "sabotage" the 2008 Summer Olympics.

International organisations

• European Union leaders asked China to show restraint and for human rights to be respected. EU High Representative Javier Solana said this would not affect Europe's involvement in the Beijing Olympics.
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour urged the Chinese government to allow protesters to "exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly" and urged the Chinese government to refrain from excessive force or mistreatment of any individuals arrested. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged for a "peaceful resolution" but said there would be no UN intervention.

Countries and Regions

• Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has urged the Chinese government to show "restraint", saying, "These are significant developments and therefore have been the subject already of communication diplomatically between our two governments, and I imagine that those communications will continue."
• Brazil - The Brazilian Government deplores the events in the Autonomous Region of Tibet which have led to the loss of human lives. In recalling its traditional support to the territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China, the Brazilian Government expresses its steadfast expectation that self-containment be exercised, so as to make possible an enduring solution which promotes peace and understanding in the Autonomous Region of Tibet, with full respect to cultural and religious differences.

• Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper made a public statement on March 20, 2008, saying, "Canada shares the concerns about what is happening in Tibet. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama told me when I met him and as he has been saying recently, his message is one of non-violence and reconciliation and I join him in that call. Canada calls upon China to fully respect human rights and peaceful protest." Canada also calls on China to show "restraint in dealing with this difficult situation."

• Colombia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia issued a statement saying that Colombia expresses its concern over recent violent events that have taken place in the People's Republic of China in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Colombian Government is confident that necessary measures are taken to prevent the escalation of violence and to ensure the return to normalcy in this region. Colombia hopes for the successful realization of the Summer Olympic Games in the People's Republic of China in the current year, as they are independent of the events of Tibet.

• Cyprus - Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou underlined that Cyprus supports the principle of “a single China” with its territorial integrity safeguarded. Referring to the recent developments in Tibet, he expressed the hope that the situation does not deteriorate, that there is no more loss of lives and that peace and stability will prevail in the region.

• Czech Republic's government demanded that the repressions cease immediately and all the preventively detained persons be released. Czech government also called on the Chinese government to enable independent journalists to enter the area and have access to unbiased information. Czech President Vaclav Klaus also expressed concern about the current disturbances in Tibet and said that violence is no solution either in Tibet or elsewhere in the world."We have been following with deep concern the reports on the current developments in Tibet that have taken a considerable toll in injuries and lost lives. We condemn violence against peaceful and unarmed protesters who seek to freely express their opinion. The use of force only leads to further worsening of the situation; that is why we call for maximum restraint.", said Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
• The interim government of Fiji, led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, sent an official letter to the Chinese government expressing support for China's crackdown on protesters in Tibet. Parmesh Chand, the Permanent Secretary of Fiji's Prime Minister's office, also commented that "...Fiji also believes that this is an internal matter for the Chinese government to deal with."

• On March 19, the French State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs and human rights, Rama Yade, requested China "to stretch out [their] hand to the Dalai Lama" and to respect the Tibetans, while underlining that if this is not the case the international community "will draw the consequences from this". On March 24, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy requested that the Chinese President Hu Jintao show restraint and called for "the end of violence through dialogue in Tibet." On March 25, he said : "I have an envoy who spoke with the authorities closest to the Dalai Lama and accordingly, I want the dialogue to begin, and I will adjust my response following the response given by the Chinese authorities."
• Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement on March 15 that "she was watching the violence in Tibet with concern." The German Foreign Ministry released the statement: "Everything must be done to prevent a further escalation of the situation and to enable a peaceful end to the conflict. Minister (Frank-Walter) Steinmeier calls on his Chinese counterparts to offer as much transparency as possible over the events in Tibet."

• Hungary - State Secretary László Várkonyi said that Hungary goes along with the Declaration issued on March 17 by the European Union’s Slovene Presidency expressing the EU’s deep concern over the disturbances in Tibet, warning the involved parties to exercise self-restraint, calling the Chinese authorities to respond to the demonstrations in accordance with internationally recognised democratic principles and urging the Chinese government to properly address the concerns of Tibetans with regard to issues of human rights.

• India's Ministry of External Affairs released the following statement: "We are distressed by reports of the unsettled situation and violence in Lhasa, and by the deaths of innocent people. We would hope that all those involved will work to improve the situation and remove the causes of such trouble in Tibet, which is an autonomous region of China, through dialogue and non-violent means." The statement was criticised by some opposition parties, who described them as an "inadequate response". Conservative BJP party member and Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in the parliament "Over 100 innocent protesters have been massacred in Lhasa in the past one week by the Chinese security forces which are involved in ethnic cleansing .. this house should condemn the incidents."
• Italy's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador to discuss the "dramatic events in Tibet".
• Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura has stated that the unrest is "basically a domestic issue for China but we hope that both sides will exercise self-restraint so that the disturbance will not spread." Secretary Machimura has also stated: "I would like to know clearly what the situation is and the facts behind what has happened. I hope all parties involved will deal with this calmly and ensure that the number of those killed and injured does not worsen any further." Kazuo Kodama, press secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that Japan is concerned about the situation in Tibet and was "closely watching the current situation in the city of Lhasa."
• Myanmar's government issued a statement saying it opposed move to link the Beijing Olympics with the unrest saying Tibet was an "internal affair" of China.
• Netherlands Member of Parliament Hans van Baalen (VVD) stated in the Dutch news' television show Netwerk that China should refrain from any violence other than absolutely necessary to maintain order in the region, and that China should start a dialog with the Dalai Lama in order to come to a peaceful solution. He also stated that any decision on whether or not to participate in the 2008 Olympic games was up to the athletes themselves.
• New Zealand's Parliament expressed its strong support for the right of people to protest peacefully and urged the Chinese authorities to react carefully and proportionately to protest and urged China to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people in order to achieve a lasting resolution of problems in Tibet.
• North Korea denounced the unrest in Tibet and supported the efforts of People's Republic of China to stop the unrest. The Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, "Tibet is part of an inalienable territory of China. The DPRK government strongly denounces the unsavoury elements for their moves to seek ‘independence of Tibet’ and scuttle the upcoming Beijing Olympics."
• Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq denounced protests in Tibet and said Pakistan was firmly opposed to any attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Republic of China's (Taiwan) foreign ministry issued a statement saying, "We strongly condemn China's use of force to suppress Tibet and urge the international community to monitor the development in Tibet." The Mainland Affairs Council also condemned the Chinese response.
• Russia said on March 17 that hopes China's government " take all necessary measures to stop illegal actions and provide for the swiftest possible normalization of the situation." The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that any efforts to boycott the Beijing Olympics were "unacceptable." The Foreign Ministry also linked the events in Tibet with the recent declaration of independence by Kosovo, showing a growing movement of groups asking for independence.
• Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its support in principle to the policy of one China and to the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of People's Republic of China. Serbia maintains the stand that Tibet is an internal issue of China and respects the policy of the Chinese government regarding Tibet as an autonomous region.

• Singapore - Singapore supports the declared policy of the Chinese Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens from violent demonstrators with minimum use of force. We are opposed to the politicisation of the Olympics.

• South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson Cho Hee-Young has stated that "the use of violence be restrained, and the unrest to be solved peacefully without any further loses of human lives." Spokesperson Cho has also stated that the MOFAT is "closely monitoring" the situation and asks for full cooperation in ensuring the safety of any foreign nationals currently present in Tibet.

• Spain - The Government of Spain advocates that a lasting and acceptable solution should be reached through dialogue that preserves Tibetan culture within the People's Republic of China.

• Sri Lanka - The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to reaffirm its adherence to the “One China Policy” and the territorial integrity of China. Sri Lanka sincerely hopes that normalcy will return to the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and further wishes that the disturbances will be brought to an end amicably with the Buddhist concept of “Ahimsa”.

• Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt condemned China for its crackdown on riots in Tibet, urging Chinese authorities to "fully respect Tibetan rights."

• Thailand - Thailand regards the Tibetan issue as an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China. Thailand is against any attempts to link the Tibet Issue with China’s hosting of the Olympic Games, which are mankind’s heritage since ancient times. Thailand is hopeful that the government of the People’s Republic of China will take measured actions that will soon bring back peace and harmony to the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

• United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on March 19, 2008, that he has spoken to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to "urge an end to the violence". Mr Brown confirmed he will meet the Dalai Lama on his visit to Britain.
• United States ambassador to Beijing Clark T. Randt, Jr. urged China to exercise restraint. While meeting with the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for an international investigation into the violence in Tibet and dismissed China's claim that the Dalai Lama was behind the unrest as making "no sense."
• Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said "the (U.S.) imperialists want to divide China. And they're causing problems there in Tibet. They're trying to sabotage the Olympics in Beijing, and behind that is the hand of imperialism. We ask the world to support China to neutralize this plan. You see the images of the violence in Tibet. Who is that against? Against China. It's the (U.S.) empire that wants to weaken China, because China is rising up." Also according to Reuters, some leftists in Latin America see the Tibetan independence movement led by the Dalai Lama as a pro-Washington group of conservative monks.
• Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling all Tibet-related issues a China’s internal affairs. "We believe that the Government of China will take appropriate measures to ensure public order and maintain social stability and economic development in Tibet in particular and China in general."

Aftermath and appraisal

According to the People's Daily, as of March 24, order has returned to some parts in Sichuan Province, as schools, shops and restaurants reopen to the public.

On March 26, a small group of foreign journalists was taken by bus into Tibet, in a move that appears calculated to bolster government claims that authorities are in control and that the protests which began peacefully were acts of destruction and murder. The heavily armed police presence indicates Lhasa remains under lockdown. Reporters were guided to burned streets in Lhasa hung with a red banner that reads "Construct a Harmonious Society," a catchphrase from the Chinese president's efforts to deal with social unrest created by an increasing gap between an urban middle class and the poor. The Dalai Lama called the trip "a first step," provided that reporters were given complete freedom.

The US State Department issued a warning to US Citizens on March 20, to those who are attending the Beijing Olympics, that "'Americans' conversations and telephones could be monitored and their rooms could be searched without their knowledge or consent."

Possible Olympic boycott

According to International Olympic Committee vice-president Thomas Bach, some athletes were considering boycotting the 2008 Summer Olympics in August over the crackdown in Tibet. He said that he understood their concerns but advised the athletes to still compete. "They will realize when they assess the situation that it is better to make an appearance than to stay away. That is a symbol that will be noticed by the public," he said.

European Union members and the Olympic Committees voiced opposition to a boycott of the Beijing Games over China's handling of the Tibet protests, saying sports should not be linked to politics. Patrick Hickey, the head of the European Olympic Committees, said in an interview with the Associated Press. "Under no circumstance will we support the boycott. We are 100 percent unanimous. Not one government leader has called for a boycott. A boycott is only a punishment of the athletes." Australia's Olympic Committee have also objected, and, to date, no foreign governments have called for one. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner did not rule out the idea of a "mini-boycott" in a first moment. However, in a second moment he backtracked describing it as being "unrealistic" given the importance of the economic relations with China. On Tuesday, he stated his boycott of the opening ceremony would depend on China's actions in the interim. Belgian Vice Premier Didier Reynders has also not excluded a boycott of the opening ceremony.

The 14th Dalai Lama himself reiterated that he was against any boycott, saying Chinese people should not be blamed for the situation in his homeland. He said Beijing needs to be "reminded to be a good host" of the Summer Games.

The Olympic torch was lit in Greece on March 24 despite a protest from media rights group Reporters Without Borders who broke through a cordon of 1,000 police officers. Tibet protestors now plan to dog the Olympic torch throughout its journey across the globe.

Many Beijing Olympic sponsors are now facing pressure including Lenovo, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and McDonalds. The unrest is being compared to sponsor boycotts of the 1996 Atlanta games over homophobia, as well as the 2000 Sydney games over Australian aboriginal rights.

The Prime Minister of Poland has decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The Polish prime minister Donald Tusk became the first head of a European government to decisively announce a boycott.

See also

• 1959 Tibetan uprising
• 2007 Burmese anti-government protests
• Nangpa La shootings
• List of revolutions and rebellions
• Chinese rebellions

External links

• Eyewitness accounts of the Tibet unrest from foreign travelers, Christian Science Monitor
• BBC News Special report: Tension in Tibet
• BBC News: In pictures: Protests in Tibet
• BBC News: In pictures: Tibet aftermath
• BBC News: Eyewitness accounts: Tibet clashes
• Monster & Critics News: In photos: 'Protests in Tibet'
• YouTube blocked in China, Tibet protests likely the cause
• Wikileaks defies Chinese "Great Firewall" with 120 pictures and videos
• "Tibet, the 'great game' and the CIA", Richard Bennett, Asia Times, March 26, 2008