Police fire on Tibetan protesters; eight die
BEIJING, April 5: Police fired on hundreds of protesters in a Tibetan area of
western China, killing eight people, overseas activist groups said. State media
reported one Government official was seriously injured in what it called a
riot. Another Tibetan activist group said on Saturday that two monks committed
suicide late last month because of Government oppression.
The reports indicate that unrest is continuing in Chinas Tibetan areas despite
a massive security presence in place since anti-Government demonstrations in
Tibets capital, Lhasa, and neighbouring provinces broke out in mid-March.
The protests are the longest and most sustained challenge to Chinas 57-year
rule in the Himalayan region. Chinas subsequent crackdown has drawn
international scrutiny and criticism in the run-up to this summers Olympic
Games.
Police fired on Buddhist monks and ordinary citizens who had marched on local
Government offices in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province
near Tibet on Thursday, according to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign and
the International Campaign for Tibet.
The protesters were demanding the release of two monks who were detained after
3,000 paramilitary troops searched their monastery and found photographs of the
Dalai Lama, Tibets exiled Buddhist leader, the groups said.
The US Government-funded Radio Free Asia said it had unconfirmed reports that
up to 15 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence. Calls to local
police and hospitals in the area were not answered on Saturday or else
officials said they had no information.
The official Xinhua News Agency had no details on deaths or injuries but
confirmed that a riot broke out near Government offices in Donggu town in
Garze. An official was attacked and seriously wounded, and police were
forced to fire warning shots and put down the violence, Xinhua said.
On Saturday, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, based in India,
said two monks committed suicide last month in Sichuans Aba County following
government oppression. Aba County has been the scene of large protests
involving hundreds of monks and citizens. (Agencies)
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