posted March 14, 2008 07:13 AM            

The Tibetan capital of Lhasa was on the brink of chaos today as the fiercest anti-government protests in almost 20 years erupted into violence between Chinese security forces and protestors wielding iron bars.

Armed police used water cannons and teargas on the crowds, and witnesses say security vehicles were set on fire and Chinese drivers were carried off with bloodied faces after being beaten by a mob of young Tibetans.

The US embassy in Beijing said its citizens in Lhasa had reported gunfire being shot in the city. The embassy emailed an advisory to Americans warning them to stay away from the city, now in its fifth day of anti-Chinese protests.

Coming just months before the start of the 2008 Olympics, the protests against Beijing rule threaten to overshadow preparations for the games.

A resident told the Guardian that he heard an explosion and around 10 shots every minute at one point, but thought it was teargas rather than bullets being fired because he saw people running from plumes of smoke and covering their mouths.

"I am too afraid to go out," the source, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "It is chaos out there."

The source, who is from the Chinese Han ethnic group, said he saw Tibetans attack two fire engines.

"I saw Tibetans throwing stones at the vehicles. They dragged drivers from vehicles, took off their uniforms and helmets, then beat them.

"The chanting mob beat up around five or six drivers who had to be carried away with blood on their faces ... then they put a motorbike under the fire engine and set fire to it so the engine was burned."

The report was difficult to confirm. The Chinese government has yet to make a statement and communications with the tightly-controlled Himalayan region are difficult even during calm periods.

But a blogger who writes from Lhasa under the name Beifang gave a similar report on his blog.

"Police cars and fire engines were outside smashed and burned. A lot of Tibetans ran towards Dazhao [Jokhang] temple. I heard gunshots. Five army police vehicles drove that way. A large number of armed police followed. A few people with blood on their faces were taken away."

Tibetan support groups overseas said they were hearing reports of a fire and protests near the Tromsikhang market near the Jokhang temple in central Lhasa.

According to the Free Tibet campaign, there were also protests today in the Labrang monastery in Gansu province, where 200 monks led demonstrations on the streets. The group said this showed the protests were gathering momentum.

Since the first protest by monks on Monday, thousands of armed police have locked down monastaries in and around Lhasa. Witnesses said today's protestors were mostly lay Tibetans.

China's Xinhua news agency reported that shops had been set on fire in Lhasa but gave no other details.

The International Campaign for Tibet said two monks at Sera monastary had stabbed themselves and others had gone on hunger strike.

About a dozen monks were reportedly detained on Monday, when several hundred from the Sera and Drepung monastaries took to the streets to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing. Similar protests took place in the Ganden and Lutsang monasteries in Qinghai (known in Tibetan as Amdo) where hundreds of monks reportedly chanted slogans calling for their exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, to return.

posted March 14, 2008 09:52 AM            

Instead, they should consign themselves to the tender mercies of bungling, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats at the UN. The very same UN bunglers who oversaw the slaughter in Rwanda and which is currently overseeing the genocide ongoing in Sudan.

posted March 14, 2008 10:02 AM            

Rawandan Genocide was a clear cause of duress and thus I am not happy with the UN's decision upon holding back peace-keepers on that event and it was unfortunate that the international community tied General Romeo Delare's hands.

But right now, there isn't a clear cut case for Tibet to present an argument of duress from China. However the resolution speaks clearly on the UN's decision and thus China is obligated to accept it since it is a member of the UN (after they have had an opportunity to present their case on the issue.)

posted March 14, 2008 10:08 AM            

Tibet must keep pushing if they believe that their cause is right.

India already gave up on Tibet by declaring its China's problem.

I have to go check my history and see whats going on there. What are the leaders of nations doing? Isn't it their job LOL

posted March 14, 2008 10:16 AM            

Communist China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council...and can therefore veto any action the bungling UN bureaucrats would attempt to impose upon them.

Word games Xodian? What is it Xodian which makes you believe I don't mean exactly what I say? I strive for clarity in communications...Mercury in Virgo

posted March 14, 2008 10:21 AM            

Other reforms included equal representation within the security council, empowering the UN peacekeepers more, etc. etc.

posted March 14, 2008 10:52 AM            

So Xodian, your opposition to veto power by UN Security Council members is totally immaterial to the discussion at hand.

If citizens of Tibet hold their breath until the UN steps in to save them, they will die of self asphyxiation.

posted March 14, 2008 11:06 AM            

Protests are protests but what I am worried about is how quickly the current state of events can turn into all out humanitarian crisis. THAT is what the UN strives to prevent (though yes there have been cases where their inactions have proved otherwise.)

posted March 14, 2008 11:39 AM            

Right now, its just an armed protest with metal bars against police. So alright its agaist China's authoritative figures; I see nothing that pertains to terrorist activities. However could this escilate to the point where Tibet could become the next example of what's happening at Sri Lanka?

posted March 14, 2008 12:25 PM            

quote:

---

the definition I have most often applied to terrorism is "the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear"...Eleanore

---

The classical dictionary definition of terrorism

It's interesting to note that the bunglers, boobs and incompetents at the UN can't even come up with working definitions of...terrorists and terrorism.

Get back to me Xodian when citizens of Tibet begin deliberately targeting Chinese civilians in China with bombs and automatic weapons fire.

In the meantime, I'll continue to applaude citizens of Tibet when they target Chinese troops and Chinese government officials in attemps to drive them out of Tibet. This is, of course, the right reaction to an oppressive tyranny.

posted March 15, 2008 10:36 AM            

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7296837.stm

posted March 15, 2008 11:09 AM            

The talibans destroyed the ancient buddha carvings, the al qaida the WTC buildings and now chinese will surely ruin all those beautiful buddhists monastery and cultural events.

What a shame

One mans freedom is another mans oppression.

posted March 15, 2008 11:43 AM            

This is 1, (one) source for saying the UN has no definition for terrorist or terrorism.

Straight UN Facts
There is no UN definition of terrorism

The UN has no internationally-agreed definition of terrorism.
http://www.eyeontheun.org/facts.asp?1=1&p=61

Now, show me the source for your statement that..." the UN has placed a pretty clear cut defination of Terrorism".

posted March 15, 2008 11:50 AM            

The UN uses the legal attirbution of Jurisprudence to define terrorism and its root causes:

http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/terror.html