Anti-China Protests in Lhasa By Tibetan Monks Are Largest in Years
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BEIJING — Tibetan Buddhist monks, staging the most serious protests against Chinese rule in years, were driven back with tear gas and electric batons, according to reports from Lhasa, the capital. Two days of protests led by hundreds of monks shouting “Independence for Tibet” and “Long live the Dalai Lama” were broken up by thousands of police. Scores of monks were reported to have been arrested, with the remainder surrounded by security forces in their monasteries and in many cases shut up in their rooms, according to reports. Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities sent a letter to mountaineering organizations saying that the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, and nearby Mount Cho Oyu, were being closed to climbers until the middle of May. This was interpreted by Tibet support groups as an attempt to disrupt plans to take the Olympic torch relay to the top of Everest.
