Who knows? Especially if you’re like me and living in China with limited access to western news sources. The China Mainland English newspaper, the China Daily, reports that Chinese police used “no lethal force in dealing with the riots in Lhasa last Friday (Mar. 14).” But an International Herald Tribune story offers a different perspective: “many witnesses report[ed] gunshots.”
This much I feel confident is true:
- “The protests began peacefully on March 10, the anniversary of a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule” (msnbc).
- Local Tibetans, fed up with years of rule by China, rioted violently. In one report, setting a police station on fire.
- The protesters are probably not supported by the Dalai Lama, evident by their apparent violent ways.
- Whatever happened probably started as demonstrations that turned violent. Who started what, when will probably never be known for sure.
- The riot(ors) are probably to blame for some Chinese deaths, so claims Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
- Around 1,000 Tibetans are under arrest. China won’t confirm that.
- “There are unconfirmed accounts of security forces using tear gas, cattle prods, live bullets and brute force to quell the demonstrations.”
China’s official story is that 13 “innocent civilians” died and 61 armed police were injured. There is absolutely no mention of the 80-some dead Tibetans – something international media reports.
Now there’s talk among EU members of a possible Olympic Ceremony boycott. A boycott would be a slap in China’s face. But I can see some benefit. A boycott would be the rest of the world saying to China, “If you want to play with the rest of us you better get your act together and act like a developed country.” I don’t think anyone really knows what the Chinese police are up to in Tibet, and the shadiness just creates more questions.
The government is not letting any foreign media into Tibet (although there are suggestions of a Gov. supported “tour”). Travel permits are no longer being issued to tourists. Permits are needed to enter Tibet and there is no word on when issuing will begin again.
This all comes just after a call by China’s Supreme People’s Court that the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of speech to Chinese citizens. So are Tibetans Chinese citizens? Yup.
