More on China’s cover-up of elite troops in Tibet

We previously posted reports that China had secretly sent elite units of the People’s Liberation Army into action in Tibet, contrary to the Chinese government’s explicit claims. 

This story has now been picked up by UPI press agency:

Elite ground force units of the People’s Liberation Army were involved in China’s recent crackdown on Tibetan protesters in Lhasa. A substantial number of images show that the new T-90 armored personnel carrier and T-92 wheeled armored vehicles belonging to the elite ground forces appeared on the streets of Lhasa the same day the crackdown began.

China has denied the participation of the army in the crackdown, saying it was carried out by units of the armed police. Such equipment as mentioned above has never been deployed by China’s armed police, however.

To cover up the involvement of regular armed forces in the crackdown, all of the armored vehicles covered the traditional red star of the PLA Army with white cloth. The red stars painted on the steel helmets of the troops were also erased.

Why is the Chinese government lying about this?  It wants to pretend that the crisis in Tibet isn’t as serious as it is.  It wants to avoid any talk that this is Tiananmen Square all over again.  China has declared martial law in Lhasa in all but name, but it desperately, desperately wants to play down the crisis to salvage some of its Olympic dreams.



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1. Tibet Will Be Free » Blog Archive » China covers up sending elite troops to Tibet! says:

   March 21, 2008 at 11:50 am

   [...] [3/21/08: For an update on this story, click here] [...]