China Tells Tourists to Avoid Tibet After Lhasa Riots (Update1)
The Tibet provincial government just stopped issuing travel permits to individual international visitors. From Bloomberg.
Chinese authorities discouraged tour groups from visiting Tibet, saying pro-independence activists damaged more than 500 buildings in the capital, Lhasa, and injured 325 people during riots last week.
The provincial government in the Himalayan territory has stopped issuing travel permits to individual international visitors, state-run Xinhua News Agency said. The region’s tourism bureau said Tibet remained open to groups, though suggested tour companies postpone travel plans…
The protests are the largest in Tibet since pro-independence demonstrations in 1989 prompted President Hu Jintao, who was then head of the region’s Communist Party, to declare martial law.
Jamie Metzl, Executive Vice President, Asia Society comments on Lhasa riots:
The most important thing to keep in mind is that tension between China and Tibet has been building for decades. On one side you have the Chinese increasing their efforts to fully integrate Tibet into China, while on the other side Tibetans are pushing for meaningful cultural and religious autonomy under Chinese rule. The upcoming Beijing Olympics are creating a platform where the Tibetans may feel more emboldened in making their claims, while the Chinese feel that they need to limit dissent and promote peace and stability.
We don’t know how these protest are going to end. Certainly the Dalai Lama has made a strong commitment to non violence and I have every expectation that commitment will be maintained. The Dalai Lama has also expressed his desire for Tibet to remain part of China, but with greater autonomy. To date the Chinese have been hesitant to yield to the demands of the Tibet exile movement for things such as the Dalai Lama’s return to Lhasa.
Origin: Ed Johnson, Bloomberg
