BBC: Clash that ‘Sparked’ Tibet’s Violent Protests

BBC obtained this footage from Chinese security forces, showing how a peaceful protest by Tibetan monks may have sparked the ensuing violence in Tibet.

Truly a Tibet-Wide Uprising

Pro-independence demonstrations continue to spread across the whole of Tibet, not just in Lhasa or what the Chinese government calls the “Tibetan Autonomous Region.”  Chinese authorities must be freaking out that the whole of Tibet is ablaze with resistance.  This is an irrefutable sign of how widespread is the Tibetan desire for freedom and independence.
According to […]

Eyewitness Reports from RFA

Radio Free Asia just posted these eyewitness reports from across Tibet:
Tibetans Report More Deaths, Spreading Protests As China Clamps Down
2008.03.15
Numerous sources interviewed by RFA’s Tibetan service have reported that anti-Chinese protests have spread further from the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, into the Amdo and Kham regions in Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, respectively. Witnesses notably reported a […]

UN Fact-Finding Mission and Olympic Boycott

Imagine for a moment that the carnage and chaos we are seeing in Tibet occurred in another country.
Wouldn’t there be frantic calls for a UN fact finding mission, especially when the numbers and causes of deaths remain disputed? Even a regime as isolated and odious as Burma accepted a UN mission.
So it is completely […]

Informants, Threats and Ultimatums

Chinese authorities in Tibet have resorted to trying to use threats, issue ultimatums, and bribe informants to regain control.  This is a completely typical reaction: subterfuge, intimidation, and false promises of leniency to lure people to turn themselves in.
The Washington Post reports on the crackdown in the monasteries and nunneries:
Official statements suggested the government […]

Senator Obama “Condemns” China’s Use of Force in Tibet

Senator Barack Obama is the first U.S. presidential candidate to issue a statement on China’s crackdown in Tibet (issued March 14):
I am deeply disturbed by reports of a crackdown and arrests ordered by Chinese authorities in the wake of peaceful protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks. I condemn the use of violence to put down peaceful […]

New York Times video on “worldwide Tibetan protests”

Jim Yardley of the New York Times narrates a short video about “worldwide Tibetan protests.” Click here to watch.

Speaker Pelosi: Chinese action in Tibet is “Disgraceful”

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, issued this strong statement on March 12:
“The violent response by Chinese police forces to peaceful protesters in Tibet is disgraceful. It must be met with strong condemnation by the United States government and the international community. The Chinese government should immediately […]

March 14, 2008 - Tibetans in Toronto Perform “Sangsol” Ceremony in Solidarity of Tibetans Detained in Tibet

[Friday, March 14, 2008 - Toronto, Canada] Amid reports streaming in from all major news outlets about fresh uprisings and revolts erupting all across Tibet, Tibetans in Toronto gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate building to perform “sangsol” (prayer ceremony) in solidarity with those that are being detained and hurt in the clashes.

More than […]

Taipei Times: “Beijing Olympics debacle has begun”

The Taipei Times looked at the unenviable options China now faces in Tibet: crack down and risk even more criticism 5 months before the Olympics, or risk Tibetans becoming even more emboldened in calling for independence.
The paper concludes that Beijing is likely to crack down but try to keep its violence out of the news, […]