16.03.2008, 00:44
Zitat:The demonstrations had started as peaceful marches by Tibet’s revered Buddhist monks. They came out of their monasteries last week to observe the 49th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s flight into exile.
A predictable and harsh response by the Chinese set off more protests by monks, then ignited popular rage among the ordinary inhabitants of Lhasa.
Their explosion of hatred, when it came, was sudden and shockingly intense. Fire engines were attacked. Any Chinese army vehicles were stoned. Cars were ambushed, victims dragged off bicycles and beaten.
Yet for all China’s claims of a political conspiracy, there was no evidence of organisation on the streets. Only a handful of rioters produced flags or pictures of the Dalai Lama. A few yelled “Long live Tibet!” For most, it was merely a moment of intoxicating, sweet revenge.
Reports from travellers told of a rippling wave of violence across the vast Tibetan heartland. It extended far into the western provinces of China and there was as yet no reckoning of the cost in lives or property of ethnic conflict in remote towns and monasteries.
Tibetan exiles reported that the authorities had lost control of the town of Xiahe, the site of the influential Labrang monastery in Gansu province in the historic area of “greater Tibet”.
According to the reports, protesters attacked shops and government buildings in Xiahe. Police broke up the demonstrations with batons and tear gas. At one stage the demonstrators numbered 20,000 and had in effect taken over the centre of the town, the exile groups claimed.
True or not, reports of such demoralising scenes will intensify political pressure within the Communist party to put an end to them.
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