19 March 2008

Free Tibet From China

Tibet remained isolated from the world Tuesday after a lock down from China was ordered after 13 people died in a violent anti-Chinese riot on Friday. While Tibetan exile groups have said that around 100 people or more were killed as China terminated the protests.
Not only did China block CNN from access to the country but foreign tourists and journalists were all ordered out and Internet site YouTube was banned completely in an effort to prevent video leaks of the hostage situation.
Premier Wen Jiabao, asked about Tibet in his annual news conference Tuesday, blamed the region's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and said protesters were attempting to spoil China's Olympic showpiece in August.
"They want to undermine the Beijing Olympic Games," Wen said. "We should respect the principles of the Olympics and the Olympic Charter. We should not politicise the Games."
He said China would "consider the possibility" of organising access to Tibet for foreign journalists but did not say when that might happen.
The unrest, and the virtual sealing off of the region, has renewed international attention on China's human rights record amid scattered calls from Tibetan activists and campaigners to boycott the Games. But while many nations have called on China to use restraint in dealing with the protesters, none have said they would boycott the Olympics.

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