12 Tibetans Killed, Chinese Regime Blocks Journalists

Chinese troops have killed at least 12 Tibetans in China’s southwest Sichuan province in what started off as peaceful protests early last week.

Amid mounting unrest, the Chinese regime tightened security in the Tibetan Autonomous Region—blocking foreign media correspondents.

A CNN crew tried to enter the region—but they were detained in the capital city of Chengdu.

On Monday, CNN journalist Stan Grant said, "As we made our way to the service counters, we were grabbed by police. We were marched to an airport police station, detained, and questioned for five hours. Police kept some of our video footage. They wanted to know who we spoke to, what we were doing here, where we had been, and why we wanted to cover this story."

Grant reported that military and police were everywhere. The Chinese regime sent a large number of armed forces to the region, increased patrolling, and cut off communications.

Reporters also tried to drive into Ganzi in Sichuan. Police stopped them—with the excuse that the "icy road ahead is not safe for foreign guests."

Following the brutal crackdown, conflicting reports emerged. Overseas Tibetan advocacy groups said Chinese forces fired on unarmed protesters, killing at least six Tibetans.

Chinese state-run media told a different story, reporting that two local police stations had been attacked and only one Tibetan had died.

Since March last year, at least 16 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest against the Chinese regime’s oppressive rule.

One Tibetan resident said he didn’t believe the protesters would attack police.

[Tibetan Resident]:
"Lamas don’t attack police!...They’d rather set themselves on fire! I believe they didn’t attack police."

The chairman of the Dalai Lama Religious Foundation said the Chinese regime tries to cover up its crimes against Tibetans.

[Dawa Tsering, Chairman, Dalai Lama Religious Foundation]:
"Over the past 50 to 60 years, Tibetans’ protests have never stopped. If the Chinese regime does not change their policy or change their unequal policy, conflict between both sides…we will never stop."

Tsering said the Tibetan people would not give in so easily.