Tibet still under China's thumb

2008-06-04 21:37

Hong Kong - Last month's devastating earthquake diverted world attention from China's troubles in Tibet, but protests and arrests have continued in the region and the leadership has been girding for more trouble.

Since the May 12 quake that killed around 70 000 people and was centred in an ethnic Tibetan prefecture of Sichuan province, more than 80 Buddhist nuns and a dozen monks have been detained following new protests.

A female student also was shot at in a public square, Tibet rights groups have said.

"There's no evidence that the crackdown has abated since the quake. Indeed, the authorities have done everything they can to ensure that the hardline restrictions remain in place," said Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet.

The government is on alert for protests when the Olympic torch is run through Lhasa on June 18. Authorities are also jittery about trouble during the current month-long Saga Dawa festival, which marks the Buddha's birthday.

Clamping down

On the day the quake struck, authorities in Aba prefecture, the jurisdiction where it was centred, issued an urgent document entitled: "Combining work on anti-separatism and safeguarding stability with disaster relief work", Saunders said.

Tibet and vast stretches of Tibetan-populated territory in nearby provinces have been closed since mid-March when anti-Beijing protests turned violent in Lhasa, making it difficult to confirm reports of demonstrations and arrests.

What is clear, however, is that the ruling Communist Party is not letting up and is preparing for a prolonged struggle.

Late last week, Tibet's Communist Party leadership set the tone in its first major meeting since the Lhasa unrest. In a keynote speech the region's hardline party boss, Zhang Qingli, said the return to relative normalcy was a "partial victory".

Hong Kong reporters visiting Lhasa on Tuesday reported armed police in the streets.

One overseas Tibet rights group called on the International Olympic Committee to pressure Beijing into cancelling the Tibet leg of the torch relay due to the risk of unrest.

Cycle of more protests

Tibet leaders have also continued to disparage the Dalai Lama, despite a meeting between central government officials and representatives of the Tibetan spiritual leader in April.

Authorities were creating new problems for themselves by forcing Tibetans, including Buddhist clergy, to denounce the Dalai Lama at "patriotic education" sessions, said Robbie Barnett a Tibet specialist at Columbia University.

"There hasn't been a single protest in the last four weeks that is about the totality of government policies, or Chinese presence in Tibet, or migration, or religion policy," he said.

"They have all been protesting against the Chinese government's crackdown and its response to the previous protests. It's just creating a cycle of more protest."

- Reuters