The Chinese government has defied international anger at its crackdown on Tibetan independence protests, accusing the Dalai Lama and his "splittist clique" of being out to destroy the Olympics and damage China's international reputation.| Now just hard how would it be to damage their reputation ... |
| ... suffering strained wrist muscles whilst swinging truncheons ... |
"Evidence shows that the violent incidents were created by the 'Tibet independence' forces and masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique with the vicious intention of undermining the upcoming Olympics and splitting Tibet from the motherland," thundered an editorial in the People's Daily yesterday.
The Dalai Lama – who this weekend was in Delhi for a meditation workshop that the actor Richard Gere was due to attend – denies he incited the riots. Last week the Nobel Peace Prize winner suggested he might resign over the unrest, which goes against his professed policy of trying to find a peaceful way of gaining more autonomy for Tibet. He also says he supports the Beijing Games.
| Which doesn't make a bit of sense. Then again, it's easy for him to call for his people to bear more suffering while attending a workshop outside of China. |
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he had been told by Chinese officials that they were prepared to meet the Dalai Lama under certain conditions, but yesterday's blast in the People's Daily appears to signal that there is to be no compromise with him nor with the international attempts at mediation.
Meanwhile demonstrators in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama's Indian base, continue to protest at the Chinese actions, which they claim have resulted in the deaths of up to 100 people, in contrast to China's official Xinhua news agency, which said 18 civilians and a policeman died in Lhasa. Waving Tibetan flags and carrying banners protesting against the Beijing authorities, the marchers have brought the town to a halt on a daily basis.
"They are not giving back the bodies. That is why no one knows how people are dead," said one protester, Dolma Tsering. On efforts to draw international attention to what has happened, she added: "We have to do something. We have to make a noise." Another protester, Lopsong Dawa, said: "We are only trying for peace, but China is lying. One day we will get our freedom."
Hundreds of truckloads of soldiers and armed police have poured into Tibet and other Tibetan areas of China, such as Gansu and Sichuan provinces, and human rights groups have warned of waves of arrests and possible torture of those picked up in the crackdown. Police in Lhasa issued a "most wanted" list of 21 suspects and posted their pictures on the internet.
Footage of ethnic Han Chinese being attacked by Tibetans in Lhasa has dominated state media in China. There have been reports of Lhasa residents mourning Han victims, feel-good stories about Tibetans praising Chinese investment in the Himalayan region and images of Tibetan schoolchildren being taught their native language in schools – one of the biggest criticisms of China has been the way it is damaging local culture. The media also warned Uighur Muslim separatists, in the restive north-western region of Xinjiang, against following the Tibetans' lead.
Xinhua reported that China had broad international support for its "legitimate actions to handle the violence in Lhasa". The English-language China Daily said Western coverage was "biased and sometimes dishonest", aimed at portraying China in a negative light, and accused foreign media of running "untrue" reports.
| But I thought you just said you had 'broad international support' ... |
