Tibet Question

Abstract

Riots in Lhasa began on Monday, March 10, 2008 when hundreds of Tibetan monks took to the streets to mark the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising that ended in the Dalai Lama leaving Tibet in 1959.1 This coincided with the Party’s annual meeting of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. The 14th Dalai Lama announced to supporters and reporters in Dharamsala, India that day: “During the past few years, Tibet has witnessed increased repression and brutality.”2 More Tibetan monks demonstrated the following day, demanding the release of sixty arrested monks. The People’s Armed Police (PAP) troops fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. By Friday afternoon, March 14, 2008 the protesters clashed with and stoned local police near Ramogia Monastery in downtown Lhasa. China Central Television (CCTV) aired lengthy footage in its evening news on Saturday, March 15, showing rioters setting fire to police and civilian vehicles, chasing passers-by and smashing shops and banks. Tibetans torched buildings, including the city’s main mosque, and attacked members of China’s dominant Han ethnic group and Muslims, who dominate commerce in the city. Thousands of antiriot police and armored vehicles were deployed to control the situation.3 KeywordsTibet Autonomous RegionNobel Peace PrizeArmored VehicleDiaspora CommunityTibet RailwayThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.