Reports from Inside Tibet, etc.

Away from the main headlines on the major news sites, Mikel Dunham is featuring some eye witness accounts from Lhasa over on his blog. Meanwhile, TibetNet is reporting a protest at Kirti monastery in Amdo, involving over a thousand monks and a thousand lay people on the 16th, and another protest in Amdo on the 15th in which 5000-6000 people took part. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is also reporting fresh protests in Amdo involving 300 monks in Rebkong.

A group of French lawmakers are urging China to grant them visas for an emergency fact-finding visit to Tibet, and Amnesty International are calling for an independent United Nations investigation.

Door to Door Searches in Lhasa - Latest News on Tibet from Al Jazeera

Tibet under martial law - latest from Tibet.Net

Dharamshala: There are reports of Chinese military and police being deployed to all parts of Tibet. Various Chinese military units have been reorganized and are being deployed even to rural areas of Tibet. Even Home Guards and Surveillance police has been called in by Chinese authorities to suppress the protests inside Tibet.

Schools, universities and shops remain closed.

Monasteries continue to be guarded with extremely strict surveillance and security. Lhasa remains completely sealed off. All exit and entry points to Lhasa have been blocked off.

As the Tibet uprising continues, reliable sources have confirmed that at least 80 people were killed on 14th March 2008 in Lhasa.

From TibetNet, the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Latest on Protests Inside and Outside Tibet - Al Jazeera

Latest on Tibet - Statement from Dharamshala

Dharamshala: We are witnessing a Martial Law situation in Tibet even though Chinese authorities have not declared it officially. Around 11pm on March 14th the Chinese authorities in Lhasa have started to make announcements regarding closure of schools, shops and businesses.

Monasteries have been completely sealed off by People’s Armed Forces and remain under extremely strict surveillance. Monks are being followed even as they try to move within the compounds of the monastery.

There are tight restrictions on communication with the outside world. Many communication lines (private home telephones and cell-phones) have been disconnected in many parts of Tibet.

People’s movement has been extremely restricted in many parts of Tibet, especially in Lhasa and surrounding areas. The streets of Lhasa are being patrolled by the People’s Armed Police with armoured tanks and vehicles.

The uprising continues as today, in Nyangden (North of Lhasa near the Sera Monastery) over 200 people took part in protests according to sources.

In Kama Kusang (East of Lhasa) there have been reports of people demonstrating in the streets. Tear Gas was forcibly used against the peaceful demonstrators.

In Labrang Tashikyil Monastery (Sangchu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) there have been major protests by mostly lay people. Atleast four people were taken into custody by the People’s Armed forces.

In addition to the numerous protests we have witnessed over the last few days, on March 11th 2008 in Dabpa (Karze, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province) Tibetans held protests against the Chinese occupation. Three Tibetans are reported to have been shot by the People’s Armed Forces.

There have been 30 confirmed deaths until today, and over 100 unconfirmed deaths.

From Tibet.Net, the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Barack Obama’s Statement on Tibet

Chicago, IL — “I am deeply disturbed by reports of a crackdown and arrests ordered by Chinese authorities in the wake of peaceful protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks. I condemn the use of violence to put down peaceful protests, and call on the Chinese government to respect the basic human rights of the people of Tibet, and to account for the whereabouts of detained Buddhist monks.

These events come on the 49th anniversary of the exile of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama. They demonstrate the continuing frustration of the Tibetan people at the way in which Beijing has ruled Tibet. There has been an informal dialogue between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama’s representatives over the past six years. It is good that they have been talking, but China has thus far shown no flexibility on the substance of those discussions. Indeed, it has delayed in scheduling the latest round, despite the willingness of the Tibetans to continue dialogue.

If Tibetans are to live in harmony with the rest of China’s people, their religion and culture must be respected and protected. Tibet should enjoy genuine and meaningful autonomy. The Dalai Lama should be invited to visit China, as part of a process leading to his return.

This is the year of the Beijing Olympics. It represents an opportunity for China to show the world what it has accomplished in the last several decades. Those accomplishments have been extraordinary and China’s people have a right to be proud of them, but the events in Tibet these last few days unfortunately show a different face of China. Now is the time for Beijing to take steps that would change the image people have of China later this year by changing the reality of how they treat Tibet and Tibetans. Now is the time to respect the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet.”

Analysis of Lhasa Protests - Robbie Barnett on CNN

News on Tibetan Protests

There is so much going on at the moment, it is quite a challenge to keep up-to-date. The best way to do so, aside from monitoring Google News, is probably to subscribe to the World Tibet Network email updates.

The largest protests since 1989 have been taking place in Lhasa, the March to Tibet set out from Dharamsala, Tibetan women have been protesting outside the Chinese embassy in Delhi, and scores of other protests have taken place around the world.

On March 11th, Chinese police used teargas and electric prods to disperse a crowd of 500 demonstrators, who were demanding the release of fellow monks held after the protests the previous day. The police response has been condemned by Amnesty International.

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has released photos of 15 monks who staged a peaceful protest in Lhasa on March 10th. It is thought that around 50 monks were detained around the capital on that day, many of them from the monasteries of Drepung and Sera, which were said to have been sealed off by authorities. There are fears that the detained monks will be tortured. The protests on March 10th were witnessed by tourists Steve Dubois and Ulrike Lakiere, who posted photos and video of what they saw on their own travel blog.

Early in the morning of March 13th, at Dehra bridge approximately 50km from Dharamsala, Indian police arrested all of around 100 Tibetan activists taking part in the March to Tibet.