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Friday, March 14, 2008
Rioting, Fires and Protests in Tibet
Friday, 14 March 2008, 14:00 GMT
Shops on fire amid Tibet protests
LHASA, TIBET: Fires have broken out in the Tibetan city of Lhasa amid
reports of rioting, as rare street protests led by Buddhist monks
appeared to gather pace. One eyewitness told the BBC how large groups of
people were setting fire to cars and shops and destroying anything of
Chinese influence. The US embassy in Beijing said US citizens had
reported hearing gunfire.
Rallies have continued all week in what are thought to be the largest protests against Beijing's rule in 20 years.
Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, released a statement expressing deep concern, saying the protests were a "manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people".
The Dalai Lama, who heads Tibet's government-in-exile in India, called on the Chinese leadership to stop using force and begin dialogue with the Tibetan people. He also urged Tibetans not to resort to violence.
"As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution. It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule," the statement said.
-- Source/continues: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7296041.stm