Real spark for Tibet's riots

I have come across video of a news article by BBC reporter Quentin Sommerville of a peaceful sit down protest at the Drepung Monastery on 10/11 March 2008 which Chinese security forces waded into with batons and shields.

It was this and not the Dalai Lama, nor the CIA who started the rioting in Tibet. The break up of a peaceful demonstration with force turned ugly and a few days later spread to other centres.

Senior monks are visible in the video trying to calm the situation, but younger monks enraged by the arrest of one of their members start throwing stones.

Suppression of free speech by Chinese security forces was the cause.

youtube.com...

reply to post by sy.gunson


Hello there Sy. I'm glad you found this. The PRC has a habit of oppressing freedoms and spirtual rights. The spirit and mind of all Tibetans is a greater force than that of their oppressers.



[edit on 23-3-2008 by Witness2008]

I was tired of the false accusations and blame being thrown around. Chinese commentators here suggest that it was all orchestrated by the CIA or Dalai Lama. They suggest that it came out of nowhere.

Clearly it is embarrassing to admit that the Tibetans were actually peacefully protesting against China's invasion at their own monastery when it started.

At the begining of the video you can see smiling monks sitting down. Then you see secret police plucking monks from the 40-50 strong crowd, with a line of riot police behind shields past the secret police.

It is clear then that the later violent riots in Lhasa (which is near the Drepung monastery) spread spontaneously.

reply to post by sy.gunson


I also tire of the propaganda. Why were the Monks so pinned in by the police? I found a video taken by a tourist where he was able to record a Tibetan speaking on the reason the riots esculated.

video.google.com...

It would only be the CIA if the monks had Stinger missiles and AK 47 assault rifles. The CIA does not believe in peaceful protests.

It would only be the CIA if the monks had Stinger missiles and AK 47 assault rifles. The CIA does not believe in peaceful protests.

Ha ha good one Deltaboy.

Yeah Witness 2008 I had not seen the whole of that video you provided. I saw a different video played on CNN where a Tibetan in another town to the north was interviewed and he said in English pretty much the same thing.

On another thread one of the Chinese commentators suggested it wasn't about freedom from Chinese rule. It was (they say) about economic discontent. That is clearly then the party line being fed to the rest of the Chinese population.

The Chinese Government can't loose face admitting that they were really sparked by a protest against the 1949 invasion because modern Chinese have never been taught that history.

I just found a first hand account of Monks being assaulted, kicked and beaten. I'll keep it coming.

tibettoons.wordpress.com...

Your argument was so weak in the other thread so you had to start a new one.

It was this and not the Dalai Lama, nor the CIA who started the rioting in Tibet.

The Video CLEARLY states that he cant be sure what started the confrontation and you manipulate his words to say the Chinese started it

On the 10th of march, the Monks led a protest in the monasteries and the Police obviously have to have a presence there to control any outbreak of violence. Standard procedure in ANY country.

And it seems the Tibetans Monks started to throw stones first, although nothing can be for certain since that video is definitely modified or at least shortened from its original state

reply to post by chinawhite


Looks like the city is burning in the background which would say this was already in the mist of rioting. Not the evidence that the monks started it.

Originally posted by Witness2008
Why were the Monks so pinned in by the police?

Who was pinning who in?





If the Police outnumbered them so much, why were they on the defensive and didn't use this "supposed" violent force even though they were being hit with a mass of rocks and other materials

Originally posted by deltaboy

Looks like the city is burning in the background which would say this was already in the mist of rioting. Not the evidence that the monks started it.

It was my point of Media manipulation not of the event which started the riots

Keep it coming ... okay

The Drepung sit down protest was apparently sparked by even earlier arrests in February when some monks participating in the traditional Monlam Festival were arrested for shouting out Long Live the Dalai Lama.

www.tibet.com...

Hardly a capital crime. In the west nobody would bat an eyelid at such an act of free expression but the people of Tibet are so heavily repressed the cannot even say such things.

The Chinese are so fragile that they cannot even tolerate someone speaking aloud a different viewpoint. The great and mighty China cannot cope with even the mildest disagreement.



What the article proves is that these riots were sparked by China's heavy handed repression in Late February and early March.

Originally posted by sy.gunson
The Drepung sit down protest was apparently sparked by even earlier arrests in February when some monks participating in the traditional Monlam Festival were arrested for shouting out Long Live the Dalai Lama.

Tibet.com?. What makes that report more believable than any other bias news?


These "peaceful" Tibetan protesters in Belgium were also just shouting out "Long Live the Dalai Lama" and were nothing close to peaceful.

Deltaboy wrote:

Looks like the city is burning in the background which would say this was already in the mist of rioting. Not the evidence that the monks started it.

The Lhasa rioting in China White's picture (ex CNN) were two days after the mass arrest of a peaceful sit down protest at Drepung monastery.

China White as usual applies selective morality and totally ignores that at the start of this video clip the protest was peaceful until arrests began.

The BBC reporter also identifies that this footage was filmed by the Chinese Police.

These "peaceful" Tibetan protesters in Belgium were also just shouting out "Long Live the Dalai Lama" and were nothing close to peaceful.

But unlike China, protesters don't get shot with live bullets, or serve life terms in prison labour camps for shouting "Long Live the Dalai Lama"

Why is China so scared of free speech ?

What has China got to hide ?



[edit on 23-3-2008 by sy.gunson]

Apparently Chinas response to the protests were heavy handed.


NYPD doing exactly the same thing on the 16th of this month to "peaceful" protestors. Some people dont understand that its STANDARD police procedures and they somehow think they can do anything they like.

Originally posted by sy.gunson
But unlike China, protesters don't get shot with live bullets, or serve life terms in prison labour camps for shouting "Long Live the Dalai Lama"

If they go on the streets with machetes and petrol bombs and kill people WHICH THEY DID then ANY action necessary needs to be taken to uphold the law


Your arguing against police brutality and then you praise murders?. Strange

Why is China so scared of free speech ?

You can be jailed in America if you advocate succession as well. You may also want to read the Patriot Act as well since you somehow believe that China is the only country doing things like this

"Smith Act"

Originally posted by sy.gunson
China White as usual applies selective morality and totally ignores that at the start of this video clip the protest was peaceful until arrests began.

What arrest?.

They mention NOTHING about arrest but a UNKNOWN event which sparked the Tibetans to throw stones at the Chinese

Even New York Police do not use bullets and tanks.

Nor do New York Police arrest for people merely speaking the mind unlike China.

Chinese authorities have handed out lengthy prison sentences to Tibetans for nothing more than speaking their mind.

www.freetibet.org...

Extract from Tibet Watch press release 6 February 2006

"The new testimonies gathered by Tibet Watch confirms our fears of a growing repression in Gansu Province" said Yael Weisz-Rind of Free Tibet Campaign. "The picture portrayed is of a renewed effort by China to crackdown on freedom of religion and freedom of expression, across Tibet, target monks and nuns and intensify its 'patriotic education campaign' in monasteries".

Two of the nuns, Tadrin Tsomo and Choekyi Drolma, and one of the monks, Dargye Gyatso, were all sentenced to three years imprisonment. The third nun, Yonten Drolma (earlier reported as Yonten Tsomo, lay name: Dukarkyi), and the second monk, Jamyang Samdrub, were both sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment. Details reveal that Yonten Drolma and Choekyi Drolma were arrested on their way from the nunnery to Labrang town, Tamdrin Tsomo's arrest took place at her home and Dargye Gyatso was arrested in his room in the monastery. Circumstances surrounding Jamyang Samdrub's arrest are still unclear. (2)

So China White are you now attacking the rights of westerners to express themselves in their own countries ?

During diplomatic visits to New Zealand our government suppresses protests against China, so in fact China is a threat not only to freedom of speech in China and Tibet, but also seeks to restrict free speech outside it's borders through trade pressure.

I think it's time we in the west applied some trade pressure back on China with boycotts against Chines goods.





[edit on 23-3-2008 by sy.gunson]

You can be jailed in America if you advocate succession as well. You may also want to read the Patriot Act as well since you somehow believe that China is the only country doing things like this

Tibet is not part of China. Tibet is an invaded sovereign country.

Tibet never was part of China.

In the treaty of 1918 both China and Great Britain recognised Tibet as a self ruling country and stipulated the borders between both countries.

I thank you however China White for pointing out the unjust application of China's laws on sedition.