Chinese officers are operating a 24 hour checkpoint on the road to Kangding. Each vehicle that approaches the checkpoint is stopped and search. Everyone in the vehicle has their paperwork checked. Journalists are not allowed to pass through into Tibet and foreigners oft en have difficulties, too.
Citizens in Tibet have staged protests and there have several incidents of self-immolation in the last week. In Beijing, leaders are quick to blame the Dalai Lama for inciting the protests. Those leaders also blame other outside forces. However, it’s very difficult to really learn what is going on in Tibet. The journalists that try to enter Tibet are often detained for hours and given a hard time by Chinese security forces.
The disputes between Tibet and China go back several decades to 1958. Up until that point, Tibet had been left alone to govern itself. Chinese troops moved in, though, and took control of the region. Four years ago, protests and riots across Tibet led to many deaths. Now, some of the most recent protests have resulted in violent endings. One of the most horrific forms of protests has been by Tibetan nuns and monks. At least 20 have set themselves on fire since last year.
During the Chinese New Year, Tibetans stages several protests in towns across the region. Beijing called the protests “mobs” and in clashes with security forces, two Tibetans were killed. The Tibetans are protesting what they see as religious and political repression.
Now, China has set up a massive security force in Tibet, especially in western Sichuan. Journalists from the BBC were stopped at the roadblock to Kangding, which is outside of Ya’an. They were held for more than nine hours and questioned by government officials. The team was threatened if they didn’t sign a statement saying that they would not try to go back to Tibet. The team refused and was eventually released.
