Tension in Tibet

Nancy Pelosi visited the Dalai Lama today in the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, where the speaker of the House blasted Chinese "oppression" and expressed her support for the Tibetan people. "The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world,” Pelosi said to an audience of thousands of Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala, India, reports AFP. More »

China admitted today its police opened fire on Tibetan protesters, wounding four in “self-defense,” the BBC reports. The statement from state-run Xinhua news agency is China’s first admission to hurting anyone since protests began last week. Chinese officials say rioters have killed 13; Tibetan activists reported security forces firing on crowds, and say at least 99 have been killed. More »

The Chinese government has acknowledged for the first time that  rioting has spread from Tibet into neighboring provinces, as it forcefully reasserted control, setting up roadblocks with armed police in areas with large Tibetan populations. In Gansu, hundreds of Tibetans, many on horseback, stormed a government compound, burned the Chinese flag  and hoisted the Tibetan emblem Tuesday.   More »

Following violent protests against Chinese rule that left 80 dead in Lhasa, according to the exiled Tibetan government, rioting flared today in a province bordering Tibet. Ethnic Tibetans in Sichuan besieged the main government building and set fire to a police station and marketplace. "They've gone crazy," one police officer told Reuters. Police have shot at least seven protesters to death, Tibetan sources say; Beijing disputes the figure. More »

The Dalai Lama today called for an international investigation into China and accused it of engaging in "cultural genocide" in Tibet, the AP reports. The spiritual leader said 80 people have been killed in recent protests. Chinese soldiers and tanks patrolled the streets of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa today, which appeared quiet in images from Hong Kong TV. Condoleezza Rice called for "restraint" on the part of Beijing. More »

Following a day of violent street clashes between protesters and security forces, China reported 10 people dead in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Embarrassed as the country prepares to host this summer's Olympic games, Beijing set Monday as a "surrender deadline" for rioters to turn themselves in and receive lenient treatment, the Washington Post reports. More »

Nearly a thousand angry monks and lay Tibetans clashed with police in the capital of Lhasa today in the most dramatic anti-Chinese protests in almost 20 years, writes the Times of London and CNN. Rioters threw rocks at police who tried to block the lamas, and burned Chinese-owned shops, leaving one of the city's main markets in flames. The violence is the latest episode in an upsurge of protests against Chinese rule of Tibet ahead of this summer's Beijing Olympics. More »

China has closed down Mount Everest, worried that pro-Tibet protesters might disrupt what’s supposed to be the emotional and physical pinnacle of this summer's Olympic torch relay—the ascent to the summit. Just ahead of the climbing season—April, May and early June—authorities  told expedition companies the Tibetan side of the peak is being shut down, the Times reports. “We are not able to accept your expedition, so please postpone your climbing.” More »

Indian police stopped a group of Tibetan exiles marching back to their homeland after just 30 miles, reports the BBC. The activists set off Monday from Dharamsala, the seat of the exiled Tibetan government, heading for the Chinese border on the 49th anniversary of a failed Tibetan coup to throw off Chinese rule. "Indian police blocked the march and forcibly removed all marchers from the road," said one protester. More than 100 arrests were made. More »

Nearly a half-century after China brutally crushed Tibetan opposition and sent the Dalai Lama into exile, calls for China to give Tibet more freedom are stronger than they have been in decades. While Beijing remains unwilling to budge, activists plan to use China's time in the Olympic spotlight to show that the world hasn't forgotten about Tibet. The Independent takes a look. More »

Tibetan monks staged the biggest protests against the Chinese government in 2 decades yesterday, reports the Times of London. The two sides clashed in Lhasa amid sporadic gunfire. Hundreds of monks and supporters marked the anniversary of a failed 1959 Tibetan uprising. Sources say police arrested as many as 60 monks, although the Chinese government will not confirm the figures. More »

Cheering thousands bid farewell to more than 100 Tibetan exiles as they began a trek today from India back to their homeland to protest China's rule over Tibet.  "Everybody is pumped up," said one marcher. "Many people were in tears as they said goodbye."  Organizers hope to capitalize on increased international scrutiny of China in advance of the Beijing Olympics in the latest push for Tibetan independence.  More »