2008 Lhasa violence
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Lhasa violence was one of a number of violent protests that took place during the 2008 Tibetan unrest
.
An eyewitness
stated that police cars, fire engines and other official vehicles were set on fire after anger erupted following the police's dispersal of a peaceful demonstration near a small temple
in Lhasa
. According to CNN, Police used gunfire and tear gas to break up the protest. "The monks are still protesting. Police and army cars were burned. There are people crying," she said. Tensions in Lhasa
increased as the city's three biggest monasteries were sealed off by thousands of soldiers and armed police amid the largest protests in nearly two decades. Chinese authorities reportedly fired warning shots and used tear gas and electric prods to disperse hundreds of protesters, in addition to detaining up to 50 monks
. US embassy officials in Beijing
told the Associated Press
that U.S. citizens had reportedly seen gunfire and rioting in Lhasa. Tibetan exiles quoted in the Times of London report that at least five people had been killed in police firing by March 15.
According to a Tibetan who fled Tibet after the demonstrations in Lhasa, knife-wielding Chinese troops attacked Tibetan demonstrators on March 14, and several demonstrators died from gunshot and knife wounds.
, the predominant ethnic group in China, and Hui
, who are a Muslim minority. According to the BBC
and the Wall Street Journal, rioters focused on setting fire to and looting businesses owned by them; the Wall Street Journal stated that first-hand accounts of their stories have been relatively rare in Western news reports, in part because it is difficult to reach people by phone in Lhasa." Tibetans face similar problems due to the strict controls on media reporting of events in Tibetan areas of China. James Miles, in an interview with CNN
, made the following assessment, "What I saw was calculated targeted violence against an ethnic group, or I should say two ethnic groups, primarily ethnic Han Chinese living in Lhasa, but also members of the Muslim Hui minority in Lhasa."
Also according to The Economist
, "The mobs, ranging from small groups of youths (some armed with traditional Tibetan swords
) to crowds of many dozens, including women and children, rampaged through the narrow alleys of the Tibetan quarter. They battered the shutters of shops, broke in and seized whatever they could, from hunks of meat to gas canisters and clothing. Some goods they carried away, while other goods were thrown into large fires lit on the street." Little children could also be seen looting a toy shop as well and mobs were attempting to ram the defenses of banks. The mobs also attacked any ethnic Chinese on the streets. James Miles reported seeing a Han Chinese teenage boy plead to a monk to help him hide because of the violence around the city.
The Guardian
reported that according to a foreign eyewitness account, rioters attacked Han, Muslim
Hui
and other ethnic minorities. Foreigners were not attacked. With the exception of Tibetan-owned hotels, many other hotels were vandalized and smashed. The foreign eyewitness also reported seeing three rioters repeatedly stabbing an unconscious
man. After the Monday deadline, Chinese police announced on loudspeakers that anyone who took part in the violence and gave themselves up would be treated with leniency.
According to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign
, an eyewitness in Lhasa saw rioters set a mosque
on fire late on Friday night and throw stones at people who appeared to be Hui.
Other Western tourists emerged from Tibet with graphic descriptions of the level of violence that had occurred. Some claimed that they had seen non-Tibetan Chinese, including the elderly, being beaten and stoned to death by groups of Tibetans, supported by the crowd.
The official Chinese media has now published details including names and photographs of some of those they say were killed or injured during the rioting. According to Xinhua, local police have confirmed the identities of 14 out of the 18 "innocent civilians" killed in "Lhasa riots," including one eight-month-old infant and one ethnic Tibetan woman in a fire, set by arson.
Radio Free Asia
and the International Campaign for Tibet
reported that fresh protests broke out at the Ramoche Temple
, situated in the northwest of Lhasa
, March 29, 2008, as a 15-member group of diplomats from the United States
, Japan
and Europe
returned to Beijing
after a two-day visit to the Tibetan capital. However, independent verification of the protest could not be obtained.
2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
.
Events
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
stated that police cars, fire engines and other official vehicles were set on fire after anger erupted following the police's dispersal of a peaceful demonstration near a small temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
. According to CNN, Police used gunfire and tear gas to break up the protest. "The monks are still protesting. Police and army cars were burned. There are people crying," she said. Tensions in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
increased as the city's three biggest monasteries were sealed off by thousands of soldiers and armed police amid the largest protests in nearly two decades. Chinese authorities reportedly fired warning shots and used tear gas and electric prods to disperse hundreds of protesters, in addition to detaining up to 50 monks
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
. US embassy officials in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that U.S. citizens had reportedly seen gunfire and rioting in Lhasa. Tibetan exiles quoted in the Times of London report that at least five people had been killed in police firing by March 15.
According to a Tibetan who fled Tibet after the demonstrations in Lhasa, knife-wielding Chinese troops attacked Tibetan demonstrators on March 14, and several demonstrators died from gunshot and knife wounds.
Media coverage
Tibetan rioters appeared to be targeting shops and vehicles owned by Han ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, the predominant ethnic group in China, and Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, who are a Muslim minority. According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Wall Street Journal, rioters focused on setting fire to and looting businesses owned by them; the Wall Street Journal stated that first-hand accounts of their stories have been relatively rare in Western news reports, in part because it is difficult to reach people by phone in Lhasa." Tibetans face similar problems due to the strict controls on media reporting of events in Tibetan areas of China. James Miles, in an interview with CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, made the following assessment, "What I saw was calculated targeted violence against an ethnic group, or I should say two ethnic groups, primarily ethnic Han Chinese living in Lhasa, but also members of the Muslim Hui minority in Lhasa."
Also according to The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, "The mobs, ranging from small groups of youths (some armed with traditional Tibetan swords
Phurba
The kīla is a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, and Indian Vedic traditions. The kīla is associated with the meditational deity The kīla (Sanskrit Devanagari: कील; IAST: kīla; , pronunciation between pur-ba and...
) to crowds of many dozens, including women and children, rampaged through the narrow alleys of the Tibetan quarter. They battered the shutters of shops, broke in and seized whatever they could, from hunks of meat to gas canisters and clothing. Some goods they carried away, while other goods were thrown into large fires lit on the street." Little children could also be seen looting a toy shop as well and mobs were attempting to ram the defenses of banks. The mobs also attacked any ethnic Chinese on the streets. James Miles reported seeing a Han Chinese teenage boy plead to a monk to help him hide because of the violence around the city.
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported that according to a foreign eyewitness account, rioters attacked Han, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
and other ethnic minorities. Foreigners were not attacked. With the exception of Tibetan-owned hotels, many other hotels were vandalized and smashed. The foreign eyewitness also reported seeing three rioters repeatedly stabbing an unconscious
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
man. After the Monday deadline, Chinese police announced on loudspeakers that anyone who took part in the violence and gave themselves up would be treated with leniency.
According to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign
Free Tibet Campaign
Free Tibet or Free Tibet Campaign is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1987 and based in London, England. It stands for the rights of Tibetans to determine their own future and campaigns for "an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for the fundamental human rights of...
, an eyewitness in Lhasa saw rioters set a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
on fire late on Friday night and throw stones at people who appeared to be Hui.
Other Western tourists emerged from Tibet with graphic descriptions of the level of violence that had occurred. Some claimed that they had seen non-Tibetan Chinese, including the elderly, being beaten and stoned to death by groups of Tibetans, supported by the crowd.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the riot, residents appeared to have mixed reactions to the violence. Some Tibetans celebrated by throwing toilet paper that resembled traditional Tibetan scarves over wires across the streets. However, "others appeared aghast at the violence."Casualties
The official Chinese media source Xinhua has reported that on March 14 in Lhasa "rioters injured 623 people including 241 police and armed police and killed 18 others. They also set fire to more than 300 locations, mostly private houses, stores and schools, smashed vehicles and damaged public facilities."The official Chinese media has now published details including names and photographs of some of those they say were killed or injured during the rioting. According to Xinhua, local police have confirmed the identities of 14 out of the 18 "innocent civilians" killed in "Lhasa riots," including one eight-month-old infant and one ethnic Tibetan woman in a fire, set by arson.
Radio Free Asia
Radio Free Asia
Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation that operates a radio station and Internet news service. RFA was founded by an act of the US Congress and is operated by the Broadcasting Board of Governors . The RFA is supported in part by grants from the federal government of the United States...
and the International Campaign for Tibet
International Campaign for Tibet
The International Campaign for Tibet is a private non-profit advocacy group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure their human rights, and protect the Tibetan culture and environment. Founded in 1988, ICT is the world's largest Tibet-related NGO, with a total membership of...
reported that fresh protests broke out at the Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple is a Buddhist monastery is considered the most important temple in Lhasa after the Jokhang Temple. Situated in the northwest of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, it is east of the Potala and north of the Jokhang, covering a total area of 4,000 square meters .-History:Ramoche is...
, situated in the northwest of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, March 29, 2008, as a 15-member group of diplomats from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
returned to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
after a two-day visit to the Tibetan capital. However, independent verification of the protest could not be obtained.