WikiTap

2008 Tibetan unrest

The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known as the 3•14 Riots in China, began with demonstrations on March 10 2008 (Tibetan Uprising Day), the 49 th anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Beijing's rule. The protests and subsequent riots began when 300 monks demanded the release of other monks detained since last fall, but soon after, political demands surfaced and the protest turned violent. Tibetans attacked non-Tibetan ethnic groups. Rioting, burning and looting began on March 14. The unrest happened during the week when major local government leaders were away for the annual National People's Congress in Beijing. According to Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the People's Republic of China, attacks on non-Tibetan interests in the Tibet Autonomous Region and several other ethnic Tibetan areas occurred at about the same time as attacks on dozens of Chinese embassies and consulates. Wen Jiabao accused Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama, of masterminding the violence, while the Dalai Lama denied the accusation and said that the uprisings were caused by wide discontent in Tibet. The tension between these two key players leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing has drawn significant international press coverage of human rights violations in China. The Dalai Lama claimed that he supports the Beijing Olympics, saying that it is "deserving for the Chinese people to host the Olympic Games", but his envoy has called for the Chinese government to put an end to an alleged military crackdown and drop Tibet from the Olympic torch route. On May 4, 2008, Chinese government representatives met with two personal representatives of the Dalai Lama in Shenzhen, in southern China. The two sides agreed to hold further meetings. The second meeting, originally scheduled for 11 June, 2008, was postponed due to the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes, and was held on 1 July, 2008. Information is scarce because Chinese authorities have restricted the ability of foreign and Hong Kong media to enter and freely report on the region, with the exception of James Miles, a correspondent from The Economist, who gained approval for a week-long trip which happened to coincide with the increase in tensions. On March 27, following a promise by premier Wen Jiabao to allow the media back in as soon as practicable, the Chinese authorities organised a controlled tour of Lhasa by foreign media. Chinese authorities have also reportedly attempted to block access to several major internet media outlets by Chinese citizens during the turmoil. (more)

Type: date-related

Genres: politics

Related Videos


Related Wiki Articles

  • 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay: The 2008 Summer Olympics Torch Relay will run until August 8, 2008, prior to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China. The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", is expected to last
  • List of revolutions and rebellions: This is a list of revolutions and rebellions.
  • 2007 Burmese anti-government protests: The 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were a series of anti-government protests that started in Burma (also known as Union of Myanmar) on August 15, 2007. The immediate cause of the protests was mainly the unannounced decision of the ruling junta
  • Censorship in the People's Republic of China: Censorship in the People's Republic of China is the limiting or suppressing of the publishing, dissemination, and viewing of certain information in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The majority of such censorship is implemented or mandated by th
  • 1959 Tibetan uprising: The 1959 Tibetan uprising, or 1959 Tibetan Rebellion began on 10 March 1959, when an anti-Chinese and anti-Communist revolt erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which had been under the reign of the Communist Party of China since the Invasion of T
  • Nangpa La shootings: The Nangpa La shootings was an ambush of Tibetan pilgrims attempting to leave Tibet via the Nangpa La pass. It is a traditional trade route between Tibet and Nepal. The victims were shot from a distance by Chinese Border Security police as they moved
  • 2008 Uyghur unrest: The 2008 Uyghur unrest occurred in March 2008. Ethnic tensions in the Western region of Xinjiang, China, have a long history and date back since the Qing Dynasty annexed the territory in the 1700s. The Uyghurs as the original Turkic Muslim populatio
  • 2008 Summer Olympics: The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, are an international multi-sport event, that will be held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008, and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympi
  • Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub ( ) 6 July 1935 in Qinghai ), is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a revered spiritual leader among Tibetans and exerts a powerful influence over the Gelug School
  • Wen Jiabao: Wen Jiabao ( ) (born September 15, 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, leading the country's cabinet. He also serves as a member of its Leading Party Members' Group and Secretary of the Financial Work Committe
  • International Tibet Independence Movement: The International Tibet Independence Movement (ITIM) is a movement to establish historical Tibet, comprising the three traditional provinces of Amdo, Kham, and Ü-Tsang as an independent state. Support for the movement in the current Tibet Autonomous



vtap logo Have you tried vTap yet? See everything, miss nothing!
Corporate Home Corporate Home News FAQ About Contact Forums