Chinese police clash with monks over Dalai Lama award

Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Tuesday October 23, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Chinese police and soldiers have clashed with Buddhist monks in several towns in Tibet during a crackdown on celebrations to mark the award of a US congressional gold medal to the Dalai Lama last week.

According to Tibetan activist groups and Hong Kong media, the security forces have attempted to suppress monasteries that tried to mark the prize-giving with special prayers or decorations.

Despite government efforts to remove satellite dishes, halt sales of celebratory fireworks and block websites such as YouTube, news has spread quickly about the accolade and the meeting last week between the Tibetan spiritual leader and US president George Bush.

Beijing is furious about the award for the Dalai Lama, who it accuses of being a 'splittist' intent upon challenging the territorial integrity of China. The Dalai Lama says he is not seeking independence, but wants autonomy for Tibetans inside China.

The Free Tibet campaign says clashes and crackdowns have been reported in the capital Lhasa, as well as in the Tibetan communities of Qinghai and Gansu.

Citing sources in Dharamsala - the Indian home of Tibetan exiles - it says there are unconfirmed rumours that one or two monks have been killed in Lhasa.

The confrontation is said to have begun on 17 October after celebrating monks repainted the walls of the Dalai Lama's residence in Drepung Monastery and held a special prayer meeting.

The Ming Pao newspaper said 3,000 armed police surrounded the monastery and refused to allow the 1,000 or so monks to leave.

Details of the crackdown are hard to ascertain because the Chinese authorities keep a tight lock on Tibet. In recent days the YouTube website has been difficult to access in Beijing, prompting speculation that it has been blocked to prevent people on the mainland from seeing video of the Dalai Lama receiving the congressional award.