Saturday, March 15, 2008

China will Crush Tibet Protests While World Remains Silent

Will the world remain silent when the Chinese authorities crush the Tibetan rebellion? Tragically, the answer is yes. As happened during the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the world did nothing and said very little. The profits made by multi-national corporations trump human rights. Even this article source refers to the protesters as "rioters." The only reason the story is being covered at all is because of the cell phone videos coming. The media only cares about sensationalism. The tragedy will be forgotten in 2 weeks, just as it was during the Mianmar protests of last year:

China set a "surrender" deadline after riots in Lhasa that it said killed 10 innocent people, launching a crackdown on Saturday after the worst unrest in Tibet for two decades.

The response came after torrid protests on Friday which flew in the face of official claims the region was immune from unrest as Beijing readies to hold the Olympic Games in August.

"Criminals who do not surrender themselves by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law," stated the notice on the Tibetan government Web site (www.tibet.gov.cn). It added that those who "harbour or hide" them also face harsh treatment.

The government offered rewards and protection for informers.

Chinese television showed footage of rioters trashing shops and trying to break down the entrance of a bank, and plumes of smoke floating above the city.

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