Chinese Order Foreign Press to Leave Lhasa
Chinese authorities Thursday ordered foreign reporters out of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and maintained a tight security clampdown in the wake of pro-independence protests that have left at least 14 people dead.
Yu Wuzhen, director of Tibet’s foreign affairs office, met with 15 foreign reporters at midnight Wednesday in Lhasa and told them to leave within 48 hours. He said that American, British, French, Australian and other reporters had violated rarely enforced Chinese government regulations requiring that they apply in advance to travel to Tibet.
Lhasa, capital of the remote Himalayan region, had been one of more than 400 cities in China where foreigners could travel without official permission.
Yu said the reporters engaged in “illegal” activities by covering the demonstrations, which began Sept. 27 when 21 monks staged an anti-Beijing protest outside the Jokhang Temple. An Oct. 1 demonstration protesting the monks’ arrests led to rioting and deaths.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Tibetan government said police had released 60 monks detained Tuesday during a protest march.
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