Jane Macartney reports for the Times Online (UK) that police plan to round up 109 Buddhist monks from Lutsang monastery in Qinghai province, western China, ad take them away for "political reeducation." This week will mark the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's exile from Tibet, and the roundup of monks is just one measure being taken by China to prevent an outbreak of violence.
About a quarter of China’s territory, an area the size of Western Europe, has been closed off to foreigners. Thousands of troops and paramilitary police have been deployed in Tibetan-populated regions amid fears of a renewed outburst of the anti-Chinese violence that rocked the region a year ago. Winding mountain roads have been clogged for days with convoys of armoured military trucks and coaches bringing in reinforcements.
Areas of China with large Tibetan populations have been virtually cut off from the outside world. Mobile phone and Internet systems are blocked there, as they are in Lhasa, the ancient capital of Tibet. Last years monks and lay dissidents used text messaging to spread protests from Lhasa to large areas of Tibet and China.
I think it’s about time the rest of the world stop kowtowing to China’s economic might, and start standing up for the rights of Tibetans and other oppressed peoples around the world.
After all, economics doesn’t seem to be our strong suit. We might as well have ethics going for us.