Tensions rising in Tibet

Things must be incredibly tense in Tibet right now. In Lhasa, the local capital, “roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces and military trucks pushing back riot police,” according to a witness who spoke with CNN. Rioters appear to be targeting businesses owned by Han Chinese, and two monks tried to kill ...

595974_080314_tibet22.jpg
595974_080314_tibet22.jpg

Things must be incredibly tense in Tibet right now. In Lhasa, the local capital, "roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces and military trucks pushing back riot police," according to a witness who spoke with CNN. Rioters appear to be targeting businesses owned by Han Chinese, and two monks tried to kill themselves yesterday to protest against being ruled by Beijing. AFP photographer Mark Ralston was nearby, and he left the following message attached to a photograph of monks at the Labrang Monastery in Gansu Province.

Things must be incredibly tense in Tibet right now. In Lhasa, the local capital, “roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces and military trucks pushing back riot police,” according to a witness who spoke with CNN. Rioters appear to be targeting businesses owned by Han Chinese, and two monks tried to kill themselves yesterday to protest against being ruled by Beijing. AFP photographer Mark Ralston was nearby, and he left the following message attached to a photograph of monks at the Labrang Monastery in Gansu Province.

“PLEASE HOLD PIX FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS UNTIL I CAN GET OUT OF TOWN, I WILL CALL”

Here’s the photo:

MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

And here’s a shot by another photographer of the chaos in Lhasa:

STR/AFP/Getty Images

 

Tag: China

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