Unrest and Violence in Tibet

I only had to walk out of my building in Portland Place, London, last night to see just how high emotions are running about the events in Tibet right now.  Protesters were shouting chants and instructions were bellowed through megaphones as van after van and car after car of police officers arrived outside the Chinese Embassy. Part of the heavy police presence was to assure that cars and taxis were able to be diverted and to keep the demonstrators on one side of the road (opposite the Embassy – separated by 4 lanes of road and a traffic island).  But the situation certainly seemed volatile and the potential for it to kick off was present. 

 The rowdy demonstration was in response to the civil unrest in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in which a number of people have been killed or injured.  BBC.com reports that ”China says 13 people were killed by rioters in Lhasa. Tibetan exiles say at least 80 protesters died.” 

So, what is causing this unrest?  March 10th saw the anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule and the tension and the recent violence has been increasing in intensity since.  The Chinese government issued a deadline for all demonstrators to turn themselves in to the police and receive ‘leniency’, however, as the deadline passed protesters were arrested and violent clashes ensued. 

bbc.com quotes China’s Premier Wen Jiabao who has cited Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama as the cause of the violence and accused supporters of Tibetan independence of trying to sabotage the Olympic Games in Beijing later this year. 

“These claims that the Chinese government is involved in so-called cultural genocide are nothing but lies.”  (Courtesy of bbc.com)

The Dalai Lama has stated that he will step-down from his government in exile in the violence continued and progress was stonewalled. 

How will this affect the Olympic Games (if at all)?  Is it appropriate for other nations, such as Britain, the United Kingdom and Australia to speak out against China’s human rights record?  Should the Chinese government be able to act without international accountability just because of the size of it’s economy and the reliance of Western nations for access and trade? 

Let me know what you think by posting a response below!

Here is the link to the BBC’s article which I have referenced above: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7302021.stm

Mr Mithen