Morning Brief: Tibet’s somber anniversary
Top Story Tibetans are marking the 50th anniversary of the Tibet’s anti-communist uprising and the beginning of the Dalai Lama’s exile. Large pro-Tibet demonstrations have already been held in cities throughout Asia and more are planned in West today. Taking an unusually harsh tone, the Dalai Lama attacked China for making Tibetan lives “hell on ...
Top Story
Tibetans are marking the 50th anniversary of the Tibet's anti-communist uprising and the beginning of the Dalai Lama's exile. Large pro-Tibet demonstrations have already been held in cities throughout Asia and more are planned in West today.
Taking an unusually harsh tone, the Dalai Lama attacked China for making Tibetan lives "hell on Earth" for the last 50 years and said that Tibetan culture was "nearing extinction."
Top Story
Tibetans are marking the 50th anniversary of the Tibet’s anti-communist uprising and the beginning of the Dalai Lama’s exile. Large pro-Tibet demonstrations have already been held in cities throughout Asia and more are planned in West today.
Taking an unusually harsh tone, the Dalai Lama attacked China for making Tibetan lives “hell on Earth” for the last 50 years and said that Tibetan culture was “nearing extinction.”
His anger was likely provoked by a security clampdown by Chinese authorities in Tibet and neighboring regions ahead of the anniversary, part of what Chinese President Hu Jintao called a “Great Wall for combating separatism and safeguarding national unity.”
The widespread protests that followed last year’s anniversary led to nearly 7,000 arrests, but this year, China’s harsh security crackdown seems to have scared most Tibetans away from demonstrating.
Middle East
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Opposition leader Mohammed Khatami has lost one of his key allies in the upcoming presidential elections.
Palestinian political leaders are meeting in Cairo for talks to form a unity government.
Asia
The U.S. is accusing China of violating international maritime law after a confrontation between ships from the two navies over the weekend.
Fourteen people were killed by a suicide bomber attack in southern Sri Lanka.
Vice President Joe Biden warned that an unstable Afghanistan threatens its entire region.
Europe
Northern Ireland’s violence continues as splinter group, the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting of a policeman on Monday night.
European finance ministers have no plans to add to recent stimulus packages despite U.S. grumbling.
Germany, the world’s largest exporter, saw exports fall by a fifth in January.
Africa
The IMF warned that Africa is particularly at risk from this year’s expected global economic contraction.
A march in protest of police brutality in Nairobi, Kenya turned ugly.
U.S. government officials confirmed that a truck operated by a USAID contractor caused the crash that injured Zimbabwean PM Morgan Tsvangirai and killed his wife.
Americas
President Obama is having a hard time winning over top congressional Democrats to his budget.
Cuba’s new foreign minister may signal a shift in tone toward the United States.
Bolivia’s Evo Morales expelled another U.S. diplomat, accusing him of conspiracy.
Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
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