Foundinchina.com

I suppose it had to happen. How can you marginalise an entire culture for half a century without breeding resentment? That resentment is more likely to find a voice when the world is watching. On whichever side of the political divide you find yourself encamped on the Tibet issue, it is an issue; and there is trouble relating to that issue happening right now. A good account of events as told through various media outlets can be found at chinadigitaltimes.

If you’re in China you might have problems accessing that link without a proxy, one of the reasons I choose to raise the issue here. The CCP could be a lot smarter in handling its coverage of these incidents in the months preceding the Games. But nobody should hold their breath waiting for that to happen.

A reasonable discussion of current events is underway at Peking Duck. However, some of the party faithful seem unable to contain themselves:

Chinese governement should crush tibetan people as hard as possible. If you have to drop a bomb in the crowd, do it.

We should set an example. Now is the Opportunity. Just crush Tibetans. Maim them, burn them, destroy them. And make the world know, it if you want to take the advantage of Olympic games to destabilize china, you shall pay with your life, your family’s life and your country men’s life!

A more sober and detailed account of events to date can be found at the timesonline:

In the Barkh_r market that winds around the J_khang temple, Tibet’s holiest site, they reported the bodies of two Tibetan men and two Tibetan women. The body of a Tibetan man was seen in the Lugu district and a Tibetan woman lay dead on Qingnian Road, near the city centre. They said all appeared to have been shot but no monks were seen among the dead.

Many ethnic Han Chinese, a minority in Tibet, were wounded in attacks by Tibetans hurling rocks and bricks as they vented their anger against Beijing rule. Residents said a number of Han had been killed but no figures were available as the city was engulfed in chaos.

China Daily predictably puts a slightly different spin on events:

Xinhua reporters in Lhasa saw many rioters were carrying backpacks filled with stones and bottles of inflammable liquids, some holding iron bars, wooden sticks and long knifes, a sign that the crowd came fully prepared and meant harm.

The mobs assaulted passersby, sparing no women or children, witnesses said.

I can just imagine the glee of the Xinhua reporters who found ‘witnesses’ telling them that protesters were “sparing no women or children”. It would be nice if Xinhua reporters could exhibit the same level of journalistic enthusiasm with regard to the police and military excesses against Tibetan people.

That said, there does appear to have been some needless violence directed towards those regarded as occupiers by Tibetans. This will not help their cause. And the Chinese government needs to restrain the brutal inclination of its recent history if it is to keep its Olympic dream alive.