China: Fire on the streets of Lhasa, Tibet · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Tuesday update:
Zuola the former pioneering citizen reporter has made a monstrous effort in aggregating links to Chinese-language coverage and discussion of the ongoing situation in Tibet.
From Tibetan writer Woeser‘s blog, one reader writes at 00:17 on March 18:
作为藏人， 决不能就此放弃
让汉人在西藏和奥运之间做出选择吧
Looking through Twifan for reports of unrest having spread to the provinces surrounding Tibet comes news from the Tibetan quarter in Chengdu, Sichuan‘s Wuhou district:
7:21 pm Monday, Fanfou user Qianlan:
晕，看来真要打仗了。洗面桥街和武侯祠横街都被封锁了。
7:55 pm Monday, Fanfou user o8o8o8:
刚刚在群里收到的最新消息! 成都军区已经一级戒备了，正在往西藏调兵。 武侯祠横街南北两个方向路口完全交通管制，车辆不得进入；洗面桥横街东西两个方向完全交通管制，车辆不得进入；蜀汉街和另外一条小街直接就路上横了两辆警车把路堵死了。大概估算了一哈，有超过200名警察，超过100辆警车，包括各种警牌的和川OA，还有大概50辆左右的警用摩托，三个一组的编队在不间断巡逻，在武侯祠横街南北两个路口，各有一辆消防车。 武侯祠横街和洗面桥横街已经完全变成步行街了，没有任何地方车辆。走到街上全部是警灯的闪烁。这段时间不要到人多的地方去打堆堆,西藏运来的好多吨炸药运到成都来已经不见了，消失了 警报日前接内部消息：一{BANNED}分子潜入成都，妄图从事恐怖活动。 此人在国外学习爆破多年，技术出众，手段残忍。 成都各区已抽调得力干警
and:
超过500人组成专案工作组开展紧急排查工作，目前此人尚未抓获。 奉劝各位这几天尽量减少外出，避免发生意外。 从昨日起成都警方以及军区已经对城区部分地区实施封闭检查 不要往人多的地方去活动 , 没事请呆家里!
And from MSN Live Spaces user XK83 at 9:21 am:
反恐第一线(一)
两会期间，拉萨发生骚乱。官方说达赖集团煽动闹事。死亡13人（截至3月17日），伤多人。
公元2008年，3月17日，西藏驻成都办事处，康定酒店，成都西藏人聚集地——武侯祠横街实行交通管制，武警配枪上街巡逻。
而这条街的一号，就是我单位的所在地。我租的房子，也在这条街。
虽然我在外面出差，但是妈妈还在成都的家里，单位还在那条街上。经过电话联系询问，整理的信息如下：
17号开始这条成都藏民最多的街实行戒严，不准车辆通行，10多辆汽车上下来许多穿迷彩服的武警士兵，配枪巡逻。
我单位作为这条街上最重要的国有单位，门口已换成武警把守，进出单位需要工作证和身份证，并在单位保安的确认下才可进入，院内不时会有武警进来巡逻 ，
单位上班开始不计迟到，晚上所有人不许加班，早点回家。
我家对面的康定酒店（西藏人开的3星级酒店），据谣传，已经关了一些重要人物，而且发生了流血事件(未经证实，大家口头相传)
有从西藏传来一说，10吨炸药带入成都，消失~~~有同学的同学在西藏告知，少去广场、火车站人多地方。
慎重使用公共交通工具。
…
后续报道会即时更新
Lianghui is on, riots in Lhasa. The official statement is that Dalai Groups are inciting riots. 13 dead (as of 03/17), many injured.
March 17, Tibetan Affairs Office to Chengdu, Kangding Hotel, gathering place for Tibetans in Chengdu–traffic controls on Wuhouci St., PAP armed and doing street patrols.
And at #1 on this street just happens to be where I work. The apartment I rent? Also on this street.
Though I'm off on business, mom is still at home in Chengdu, and my office is there, so through regular phone calls back I've gathered the following information:
Beginning on the 17th, this part of Chengdu, which is where the most number of ethnic Tibetans live, has been under lockdown; no cars allowed to enter, and many camouflage-wearing PAP who came in on over 10 vehicles are armed and doing patrols.
The office has stopped counting if people show up late, and nobody is allowed to do overtime at night, and people are going home early.
Kangding hotel right across from my home (a 3-star hotel opened by a Tibetan), according to rumors, has already had some of its higher-ups arrested, and there've been incidents of bloodshed (unconfirmed, this is just what everyone is saying)
There's word out of Tibet too, that ten tons of explosives were brought into Chengdu and then disappeared……a friend of a friend in Tibet told him that. Stay away from plazas, the train station, or places with lots of people.
Use public transportation with caution.
…
More updates coming soon.
From Sunday, independent blogger Mr. Jun aims for a more rounded perspective in his post ‘The Lhasa Riots–How are we to look at them?’
常常认为，从不同的角度看一样东西，会有不同的景色。从正面去看一个人，有可能会觉得他有点面目可憎，可是如果从旁边看，他或许是个心地善良的人也说不定。就像是拉萨暴乱事件一样，从那方面看，就有不同的结论。
如果以….
中国的方面来看这个拉萨暴乱事件
– 拉萨暴乱是有阴谋的。
– 达赖图谋藏独。
– 拉萨暴乱的另外意义是阻止奥运的进行。
国外的方面呢？
– 阻碍奥运是错误的，根据过去的经验显示，杯葛奥运是一定会失败的。
– 没有任何一个国家会接受西藏是个独立的国度。
拉萨与西藏的看法又如何呢？
– 以暴力阻止暴力，是很没有说服力。
If…
..looking at this from this Chinese side:
-there's a conspiracy behind the Lhasa rioting.
-it's the Dalai Lama's plot for Tibetan independence.
-another purpose to the Lhasa riots is to prevent the Olympics from being held.
…and from overseas?
-interfering with the Olympics is a mistake; past experience shows that boycotting the Olympics is guaranteed to fail.
-there isn't a single country which would accept Tibet as an independent nation.
And Lhasa and Tibet's views?
-Stopping violence with violence, there's nothing persuasive about it.
[…]
和平是很难维持的，因为那是双方面的。如果有单方面和平的破坏，双方也不会就次罢休的。不少喇嘛被囚禁了，这就是单方面的和平破坏的开始点。暴乱事件就是另一方对于喇嘛被囚禁的不满而做出的抵抗。双方面没有得到共识是错误的起源，因为不了解而分裂，那是历史很清楚地告诉我们的。而奥运又要利用这事件来表达，奥运本身就是如此地神圣不可侵，没有人该推翻它！
人民醒觉运动，我个人认为人民应该拥有权利，不把所有的权利都给于一个领导人。就以古中国来说，皇帝的决定是绝对的，包括战争。人民的反对票无法达到皇帝的认同，因为人民没有选择权。可这不表示人民应该拥有所有的权力，所以权力的分配必须达到平衡。
最后回到‘从那方面看？’这话题。如果是中国的新闻来看，那可能会有点夸大其言，毕竟现在以武力镇压拉萨的是中国，中国是其事件的起端者，所以中国的话还是别全信比较好。西藏与拉萨方面，他们是其事件的起端者之一，可是同时也是受害者。他们有可能会夸大其言，但他们是受害者，所以可信度比较高。
A people's awakening movement, as I see it, is a right a people ought to have, and that not all powers should be given to a leader. In ancient China, the emperor's decisions were absolute, including going to war. People's opposition votes weren't recognized by the emperor, because the people had no right to choose. But this doesn't suggest that the people should have all the power, and this is why division of power must be balanced.
Back to the topic of ‘which side?’. If one looks at Chinese media, well, there might be some exaggeration, especially now with China suppressing Tibet with military power, and China being the source of these incidents, which is why it's better to not completely trust what China has to say on this. For Tibet and Lhasa, they are one of the sources of these incidents, but at the same time they are the victims. They might also be exaggerating, but as they are the victims, their degree of reliability is still much higher.
Ken at Kadfly, one of the last few foreigners to enter Tibet before the violence broke out and the area shut down, has added to his earlier collection of tourist photos of the unrest and destruction with an update Monday that the Tibetan violence had generally stopped:
Today people returned to the streets of Lhasa in droves. There are tons of Chinese police and army in the city but they are letting people wander without too much difficulty. Schools were also open today – hopefully all this means that there will not be any further escalation of the situation. Since the 14th things have quieted down dramatically – aside from a few booms and bangs we haven't been able to hear much from where we are. We have heard, however, that the authorities have been conducting night-time arrests in other parts of the city, but this is not confirmed.
Original post:
Protests in Lhasa set to coincide with the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's unsuccessful uprising against PRC occupation of the former theocracy which began on March 10, the day on which what was being called the worldwide Tibetan people's uprising was stopped at the Indian border, turned violent on March 13 and may now be spreading to neighboring Gansu province.
As mainstream media struggle to bring out the latest developments, bloggers on the ground in Lhasa have been able to provide ongoing updates on the situation. Earlier in the week, the Time China blog linked to one European tourist's writing, photos and video from Lhasa just as the rioting had begun.
QQ blogger 24K Pure Love at 2:58 pm Friday:
拉萨暴乱
今天是2008年3月14，白色情人节“也是我到拉萨的第25天。  可今天的拉萨并不太平，外面到处是暴乱份子，以前在内地从来没见过这种场面。 用恐怖也来形容也不为过。
杀人，放火，仍石头““  外面一片黑暗。 到处冒烟。
武警都出动了“  大街上面空无一人，店面全部关门了`  马路上都是暴乱份子扔的石头“`
QQ blogger ‘I Love Blue Sky’, who appears to be involved in the travel industry, 4:01 pm Friday:
拉萨的动荡３月
昨天开会了，说是几个寺庙不让去了，
珠峰也不可以去，
哎，那这旅游还咋做啊　，
那游客来拉萨还有什么好看的呢
今天，听说大昭寺那边又有动乱了，
很恐怖的，朋友们都打电话来，
让我不要到处乱走，
真是的，你说安定团结那里不好，
非要搞点事出来，
客人来了拉萨，还不让乱走，你说这旅游还咋做吗
Today, I heard there's been another disturbance at Jokhang Temple,
It's terrifying. Friends keep calling,
Telling me not to go wandering around,
Please, what's so bad about Stability and Unity?
Do you have to go making trouble?
The clients are here in Lhasa, but they're not allowed to go wandering around, what am I going to do for this tour?
现在是搞的人心惶惶的，
组团社那边，问出了什么事，
拉萨这边又让说是维修寺庙
世上那有不透风的墙呢？
Another QQ blog, Friday, 6:01 pm::
拉萨是个好地方
拉萨暴动…学校禁校…生日泡汤…  市里面打的那叫一个猛!军车一辆一辆的，手榴弹一颗一颗的扔，大昭寺周围被炸开花了，步行街被武警封了，温州商贸诚也被封了，石油公司貌似炸毁了…  长这么大没见过这世面…达lai真ta妈牛b!真希望赶紧把我们学校炸了!我转到人大去我!
From another QQ blog at 6:25 pm:
圣地的暴政【拉萨】
今天的拉萨没有莪想的那么圣洁了,在拉萨一直被人尊敬的拉萨成了暴政的源头,今天呆在岛里真的很郁闷,拉萨市好几家服装店被烧毁,全岛的居民都不准出岛,喇嘛扪跟警察打起来了,死伤现在还不知道,说实话长这么大莪真实是见过那么多的装甲车,还有那么多的坦克和大部队,莪想不明白眼前的这一切是为什么? 还说把莪扪汉人杀了`?全岛和拉萨市里的店都关门大吉了,因为都是莪扪汉人开的店…
中国政府每年对西藏拨款发展,到现在得到的是什么?这样的国内暴政会让中国更会发展吗?来到拉萨的时候感觉这朴实,是个适合自己发展的地方,也是赚钱的殿堂…因为这商机大机会也多,比如这两年开采矿物质,也给西藏带来了财富,青藏线的开通就跟不是新闻了.
Also on QQ, ‘Ice Dragon’ at 6:26 pm:
08年3月14日拉萨喇嘛造反
今天下午武警，交警，特警全部出动于布达拉宫广场与拉萨百货大楼交界处
坦克，装甲车，消防车全部出动在布达拉宫前
到目前`特警伤几十人死几人
消防车被炸一辆
轿车被炸N辆，商店被烧几十家
四川人士死伤上百
大昭寺和小昭寺已经被烧毁！
朋友刚才来电说：现在拉萨各大小医院已经住满了病人！
（昨晚，在大昭寺几百名四川人士被打，13名当场死亡，80多人重伤）
This afternoon, PAP, traffic police and riot police all marched into Potala Palace Square to the Lhasa Department Store tower junction
Tanks, armored vehicles and firetrucks all moved into the front of Potala Palace
At present, dozens of riot police have been injured and several killed
One fire truck has been blown up
Countless civilian cars have been blown up, and dozens of shops have been torched
Over a hundred Sichuanese have been killed
Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple have both already been burnt down!
A friend just called to say: all small and large hospitals in Lhasa are already full with patients!
(last night, several hundred Sichuanese got beaten in front of Jokhang Temple, 13 died at the scene, and 80 more were seriously hurt)
Another QQ blogger's post from 6:56 pm:
关于发生在今天的拉萨暴乱
经常在新闻中看到伊拉克战争，或是哪里又发生袭击事件，当时我就在里面感慨，还是做中国人幸福，至少是和平的，至少不会会有战争，至少人们不用生活在对战争的恐惧中！但今天发生在西藏的暴乱事件，却让我深深的感觉到，原来也有些人不想让我们中国平静、和平！不知道以后别的国家的人在看到我们中国的战争新闻时，是不是和我当初看伊拉克战争时的心情与感慨一样！
当今天那些疯狂的达赖教众在街上围堵殴打过往的汉族人时，当他们用打火机点燃一处又一处商铺时，当他们将火苗扔向停靠在路边的汽车时，我真的感觉到很害怕且不可思议。你们在毁坏的可是你们自己的家园，你们不是信仰活佛吗？难道这些是你们的活佛指示你们做的？是活佛指示你们尽情毁坏你们的家园的吗？我想这些大部分人都是没有想过的，大部分人都是被某些想分裂祖国的人的言辞所欺骗！但你们可以想想，是谁让西藏发展成今天的模样，是谁架起了西藏与全世界人民的桥梁，又是谁每年从内地调派各类人才到西藏来教与西藏孩子知识与文化，更是谁每年从祖国的各个发达城市播款来援藏！这些我想你们都已经忘记……
At 9:18 pm on Zoer's QQ Space:
拉萨暴乱了！刷机失败了！
3.14拉萨的喇嘛终于又“起义”了
砸车、放火、还干了点别的什么我不得而知
即使是我的体形
都不能轻易穿越武警和陆军人墙的间隙
更不想成为装甲车履带下的炮灰
哎~喇嘛，你怎么就不能像人家和尚那么安分点儿呢？
谁都知到你丫的做不了个啥
楞老在那起哄
学芙蓉JJ搏出位？代价也忒大了点儿！
Sunday update 2:
Davesgonechina at Tenement Palm continues his translation roundups of microblog posts on the situation in Tibet which people continue to put onto sites like Fanfou and Jiwai; on the latest batch he has now written:
Special Note: This is the perfect opportunity for Tibet internet activists like Oxblood Ruffin and concerned netizens everywhere to engage Chinese people on the Internet in discussions about what is going on. As I previously outlined in a primer to engage Chinese people, these are channels where one can register a free account and launch dialogues with Chinese individuals about Tibet. Many of the people I've included below are neither kneejerk nationalists or xenophobes, and some of them know some English too. It wouldn't hurt to try. You can respond by clicking on the username link at the beginning of each tweet, sign up, and talk back.
**One reader has written in asking to know why there are no apparent Tibetan voices in this post. This of course is not a deliberate omission but a problem of not being able to find them. Any such related links if left in the comments or sent to chinese [at] globalvoicesonline [dot] org will be translated swiftly and everyone's help is most welcome in this.
Update: Sunday, March 16:
QQ blogger ‘Zuoer’ had a post of a series of apparently civilian photos taken at 2pm Sunday afternoon which have since been deleted but can be seen here (scroll halfway down).
As of Saturday, YouTube has been blocked in China. Little information seems to be coming out of Lhasa now, although micro-channels remain open. Phayul.com has cellphone video of a large number of monks demonstrating in the early afternoon of March 15 around Labrang Monastery in neighboring Gansu province.
Also on Saturday, EconThink MSN Spaces blogger Robert posted a notice from the local law authorities calling on those responsible for the “smashing, looting, burning and killing” to turn themselves in before March 17, saying that those who do may be exempt from punishment, and those who don't will be severely punished, the same for those who are found to be covering up for or harboring criminals. Protection is being offered for those who turn “criminals” in.
Further 03/16 update: Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth provides further translations, including one detailed eyewitness account of the extent of the violence that has been reposted on many Chinese blogs.