New violence has broken out in volatile Tibet leaving a reported eight dead according to Tibetan human rights sources. The London based Free Tibet Campaign said police on Friday fired on hundreds of Buddhist monks and civilians who marched on local government offices to demand the release of two monks who were detained for possessing photographs of the Dalai Lama. Xinhua News Agency, which represents the views of the Chinese government, reported that government official was seriously injured in some type of conflict with someone, most probably the so-called “suicide squads” supposedly organized by “terrorist” Tibetans. According to official reports, an official was “attacked and seriously wounded” which necessitated the police to fire “warning shots and put down the volence.”
Spokespeople for the Free Tibet Campain insist the incident began due to efforts of Chinese officials to compel monks to denounce the Dalai Lama and when monks refused to allow entry into the Garze monastery, a conflict to ensued. This resulted in 700 monks and 400 civilians marching on a local government headquaters where the shooting began. Wtnesses said at least three monks and a woman were among the dead.
The Chinese government is doing everything in its power to cause protests, and even boycotts of the Olympics. If more monks are killed it might result in some athletes of government to boycott the entire Olympics.
