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More bloodshed in Tibet, police kills six demonstrators
The incident occurred in Draggo, Sichuan province. Thousands of people marched on government offices, demanding religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama. Security forces fire on them.
Lhasa (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Chinese security forces have opened fire on peaceful demonstrators calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, killing at least one man who was hit to the head. Thirty more were seriously wounded. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, confirmed the casualties but blamed separatists and the Dalai Lama and his people for inciting people to engage in violence. Other sources claim that at least six people were killed.
The incident took place in Draggo County, a predominantly Tibetan part of Sichuan Province. Eyewitnesses said that the demonstration was organised after the arrest of a group of Tibetans handing out pro-Dalai Lama pamphlets. This led residents to march on government offices to demand their release. As they approached, police opened fire on those who came close to the building.
Demonstrators resisted police violence. Eyewitnesses said that they “destroyed Chinese shops and other Chinese facilities in the area”.
Tibetans accuse Beijing of invasion. Since Tibet was occupied by the People’s Liberation Army, Chinese authorities have settled millions of ethnic Han Chinese to take over the local economy and education.
According to monks from the Draggo lamasery, one of the biggest in the area, “thousands of people marched to the local police station on Monday morning to call for religious freedom and to protest against local corruption”.
In the past few months, 16 people (mostly Tibetan monks) have set themselves on fire in public to protest against human rights violation.
The Dalai Lama has called on his followers not to do it, but Beijing continues to blame him for unrest in Tibet.