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China allows journos into Tibet
26/03/2008 14:54 - (SA)
Lhasa - The first group of foreign journalists to visit Tibet since deadly rioting earlier this month arrived in Lhasa on Wednesday on a strictly controlled tour that appeared part of a government effort to show life is back to normal. But the presence of police throughout the city indicated the Tibetan capital remained under lockdown.
It was unclear how much freedom the group of 26 reporters would have during the two-day trip, which comes amid rising international pressure over the government's crackdown less than five months ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
The first several hours of the visit gave the group only a limited glimpse of Lhasa.
The bus drive from the airport into the Tibetan capital was purposely slow, taking about 90 minutes to go 65km, despite repeated pleas from the reporters to speed up.
The bus passed three police checkpoints on the way. Single police officers were also stationed at almost every cross street on the road to Lhasa.
The bus made a stop close to one of the checkpoints and when several reporters walked back to see, government minders hurried along as well.
About five uniformed officers were stopping cars. One officer, Cun Luobu, said the checkpoint was set up March 14, but that they were only checking "for people not wearing seat belts, for violating traffic rules and for having fake licence plates".
Anti-government riots
March 14 was the day anti-government riots peaked in Lhasa, with protesters torching buildings and attacking ethnic Chinese. Although Chinese state television has been repeatedly showing scenes of damage from the riots there was little visible destruction in the areas of Lhasa the reporters were taken to Wednesday.
Armed police in camouflage uniforms were stationed at several places that appeared to be government offices. Machine guns were strapped across their chests, in the highest state of readiness.
The government says at least 22 people have died in Lhasa; Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed, including 19 in Gansu province. Periodic protests have occurred in Gansu and Qinghai and Sichuan provinces.
China has said the violence was orchestrated by the Dalai Lama's followers, part of a spreading campaign to discredit independent reports on the protests, which began peacefully among Buddhist monks on March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Asked to comment on the government-organised trip for foreigners to Lhasa, the Dalai Lama called it a "first step" and said he hoped the trip would take place "with complete freedom. Then you can access the real situation," he said in India, where the Tibetan government-in-exile he leads is based.
The trip and reports of surrenders appeared calculated to bolster government claims that authorities are in control of the situation and that the protests were a criminal act of destruction and murder.
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