Tibet: A Two Week Timeline

It has been two weeks since rioting and violence broke out in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. In that time reports from traditional news sources and the Chinese government have been vague, contradictory, and potentially misleading as all foreign travel within Tibet and now the surrounding areas has been blocked. Below is a timeline of reports that have made it out.

Monday, March 10 – On the 49th anniversary of the “Tibetan National Uprising,” 500 Tibetan Buddhist monks still living in China march into the now provincial capital of Lhasa in protest of the Chinese rule.

Tuesday, March 11 – Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns who fled to India after the unsuccessful 1959 uprising against the Chinese are, according to the International Herald Tribune, told on the second day of their own six month protest march back to Lhasa that the Indian government has issued a restraining order preventing them from leaving the Kangra District.

Wednesday, March 12 – For the first time, Chinese officials publicly acknowledge the monks' protest, but the BBC reports official claims that authorities have "stabilized" the situation. Chinese security personnel fire tear gas on 600 monks taking part in the protest.   

Friday, March 14 – Tibetan protests continue, and reports of violence begin surfacing. National Public Radio reports on the burning of shops and cars in Lhasa. Time reports on accounts of gunfire and bodies in the streets of Lhasa. And the U.S. Embassy in China warns visiting Americans to stay inside. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's leader-in-exile, responds "Tibetans in the whole of Tibet have had to live in a state of constant fear, intimidation, and suspicion under Chinese repression." China officially blames the Dalai Lama and his "clique" as the masterminds behind the protests.

Sunday, March 16 – Weekend protests continue as China closes off news in and out of Tibet. Foreign travel into Tibet is suspended, and according to the New York Times, CNN, the BBC, YouTube, Google News, and Yahoo websites are blocked within all of China after videos of the violent protest and the violent Chinese response are posted. Pro-Tibet protests have spread to Paris, Sydney, New York.

Monday, March 17 – China reconfirms their claim that the Dalai "clique" orchestrated the protests and claims that 13 "innocent" civilians have been killed. The Tibetan government in exile maintains that at least 80 people have been killed during the week of protests in Lhasa. Meanwhile, Britain's Guardian newspaper further reports that the first anti-China protests in Beijing have taken place.

Tuesday, March 18 – As China dismisses international public calls for an Olympic boycott, a New York Times editorial highlights the United States removal of China from its list of the top 10 human rights violators as violence broke out in Lhasa. And though the Chinese maintain that the Dalai Lama has masterminded the riots, evidence of the fraction within the Tibetan resistance is shown as the spiritual leader says he will step down from his governmental seat if his non-violent approach to protest is not maintained.

Thursday, March 20 – As China arrests 24 citizens for committing what it calls are "grave crimes" the Dalai Lama tells Newsweek he's willing to fly to Beijing to meet with China's president, Hu Jintao, and prime minister, Wen Jiabao. Despite China expressing "serious concern" British Prime Minister Gordon Brown states he will meet with the Dalai Lama during his upcoming visit to London.

Friday, March 21 – Nancy Pelosi, the U.S. speaker of the House of Representatives, meets with the Dalai Lama while traveling with nine other members of Congress through India. According to the New York Times, Pelosi calls the violence in Tibet as "a challenge to the conscience of the world." Within hours, China responds to what it perceived as an attempt by Pelosi to meddle in its internal affairs. The Chinese ambassador to India is quoted, "Any attempt to cause trouble to China is doomed to fail.”

Monday, March 24 - The Associated Press reports that as the Olympic torch is lit in Greece, pro-Tibet protesters temporarily block its 85,000-mile journey to Beijing. The Chinese hold to their plans to carry the torch through Tibet and to the top of Mount Everest as calls for boycotting the games seem to lose what little backing they initially received in the past two weeks. And though it is unfortunately obvious that the boycotting of these games would do little to remedy any human rights violations that have occurred in Tibet during the 57 years of Chinese rule, it is equally as apparent that no amount of televised sporting events could cover up those crimes either.

--Jason Kerkmans