China shows its true face over Tibet

China may yet avoid a boycott of the Olympics, but the violence in Tibet is focusing attention on the country’s repressive regime.

China may yet avoid a boycott of the Olympics, but the violence in Tibet is focusing attention on the country's repressive regime. So far, the Chinese say violence has left 16 dead, mainly ethnic Chinese, but there are rumours that around 100 Tibetans have died. Both claims are impossible to verify, as the Chinese have cut off media access to the region.

The Chinese prime minister has accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the unrest; the Dalai Lama has condemned the violence and threatened to renounce his status as leader of the government in exile if it spirals out of control, says Thomas Bell in The Daily Telegraph. He also insisted total independence was out of the question, reiterated his support for the Beijing Olympics and stated his desire for Tibetans and Chinese to live "side by side" in peace.

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