RIOTS, PROTESTS
The Dalai Lama denies he wants anything more than greater autonomy for his homeland and has criticised the violent protests, but he said on Thursday the Olympics were a chance for the world to remind China of its human rights record.
"In order to be a good host to the Olympic Games, China must improve its record in the field of human rights and religious freedom," the Tibetan spiritual leader told India's NDTV news channel in an interview to be aired on Friday.
"It's very logical, very reasonable."
The unrest began with peaceful marches by Buddhist monks in Lhasa more than two weeks ago. Within days, riots erupted in which non-Tibetan Chinese migrants were attacked and their property burned until security forces filled the streets.
Protests have spread to parts of Chinese provinces that border Tibet and have large ethnic Tibetan populations.
China says 19 people were killed at the hands of Tibetan mobs. The Tibetan government-in-exile says 140 died in Lhasa and elsewhere - most of them Tibetan victims of security forces.
China has poured troops into the region, and Human Rights Watch said the United Nations human rights council should address the crisis in Tibet.
Human Rights Watch said Australia, the European Union, Switzerland and the United States raised human rights abuses in Tibet during a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, but China blocked debate, backed by Algeria, Cuba, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
"The council has not only the right, but the obligation to address the Tibet crisis," a statement quoted Juliette de Rivero, Geneva advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, as saying.
"It's scandalous that the council ends up silencing those who are trying to make sure it does its job."
Meanwhile, Beijing continued its propaganda blitz and Xinhua quoted "living Buddhas" condemning other monks who participated in the March 14 upheaval.
"According to Buddhist karma, they cannot reincarnate after death because of the sin they have committed," said Chubakang Tubdain Kaizhub, head of the Tibetan chapter of the Buddhist Association of China.
Taiwan's outgoing President Chen Shui-bian called for people to stand up "in the name of universal human rights, positively show they care, and light a candle for the people of Tibet".
