Tibetan Demonstrations Turn Violent; Dalai Lama Denies Planning
By Joseph Catapano
March 19, 2008 | Printer Friendly

The Dalai Lama has denied claims from the Chinese government that he masterminded the violent protests that have taken place in Tibet recently, going so far as to say that violent protest is “suicidal to the Tibetan cause,” and threatening to resign from his political post as leader of the Tibetan exile government if the violent protests continue, according to the New York Times. For their part, Tibetan protesters called on the international community to pressure the Chinese government to “allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly.”

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has gone on record as saying “[there is] ample fact and plenty of evidence [that the protests] were organized, premeditated, and masterminded by the Dalai clique. This incident has inflicted heavy loss of life and property [on] the people in Lhasa.”

“Violence is against human nature,” said the Dalai Lama. “We must not develop anti-Chinese feelings. Whether we like it or not we have to live side-by-side.” He remains committed to nonviolent demonstration. “Prime Minister (Jiabao), come here and investigate thoroughly all of our files, or record my speeches. Then the prime minister will know how much is distorted by local officials…whether intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place.”

According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Jiabao said he is prepared to talk to the Dalai Lama as soon as he renounces violence and demands for Tibetan independence; the Dalai Lama has repeatedly said he was not calling for Tibetan independence from China, but that they should have “genuine autonomy” to protect Tibetan cultural heritage. On Sunday, Jiabao called these renunciations “nothing but lies;” China maintains that Tibet is part of its territory.

United States Secretary of State Condolezza Rice said, “We have really urged the Chinese over several years to find a way to talk with the Dalai Lama, who is a figure of authority, who is not a separatist, and to find a way to engage him and bring his moral weight to a more sustainable and better solution of the Tibet issue.”

The Chinese military moved into Tibet and other regions in Western China in response to the protests, which began on March 10th and escalated into riots in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on Friday. March 10 marked the anniversary of the first failed Tibetan uprising in 1959. The latest violence is the largest since the late 1980’s, when China declared martial law in the region and violently suppressed demonstrations.

Coverage of the conflict has been mixed. The Chinese government is reporting that Tibetans killed 13 innocent civilians, and they have denied that their military used violence against protesters. Tibet’s officials meanwhile have reported 99 deaths in confrontations with the Chinese. Press coverage in the country has been difficult as officials maintain tight control over domestic news coverage and the Internet. There have been periodic blocks of CNN and BBC broadcasts in the region and foreign journalists are not being allowed into the city of Lhasa.

In an attempt to end the protests, Chinese officials set a deadline for midnight this past Monday for protesters to surrender; those who refused were promised harsh punishment. As of today the Chinese are reporting that 105 Tibetans have surrendered. Human Rights Watch has asked that they have access to those who have been arrested to ensure that torture is not involved in their detainment.

References:

CNN: China Ready to Talk to Dalai Lama

BBC NEWS: Protesters ‘surrender in Tibet’

New York Times: China Steps Up Its Accusations Against the Dalai Lama

New York Times: Violence in Tibet as Monks Clash With Police