Inside Tibet's capital
Here come four words I didn't expect to write so soon: I am in Tibet.
It's late at night, and I'm sitting in a hotel room in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. If I jam my head out of the window and look to the right, I can just about see the Potala Palace in the distance - the ancient home of the Dalai Lama. (If I look straight ahead, I can see a well-lit advertisement for the China Construction Bank.)
A quick reminder of why getting into Tibet has been so hard: in mid-March, Tibetan monks and civilians in Lhasa led several days of (sometimes violent) protests against Chinese rule.
China sent huge numbers of security forces into Tibet to take back control - human rights activists say that many Tibetans were killed. As soon as the protests began, China sealed off Tibet.
Since then - with the exception of a brief government-led tour to Lhasa and a government-led trip to Mount Everest for the torch relay - foreign journalists have been unable to get in. China has insisted that the situation in Tibet is too unstable to allow in foreign reporters (and tourists).
But, on Saturday the Olympic torch relay comes to Lhasa for a one-day stop. The BBC applied for official permission to cover the event (as we did when we covered the relay in several other parts of China - including Hong Kong and Xinjiang). This week, the Chinese government said it had decided to grant permission to more than 20 media organisations to go and cover the relay in Tibet.
So this afternoon, at 3.20pm, we landed in Lhasa on Air China flight CA4112 - each of us carrying barrel-loads of TV cameras. We were met by local government officials and helped into a seven-vehicle convoy. We were driven into Lhasa with all indicator lights flashing.
It was hard to get anything more than a brief impression from this journey - but this is some of what I saw on the way in: rows of one-storey homes with prayer flags flying from the rooftops, watermelon farms, a police jeep parked outside a school, a group of men showing their papers to the police at a toll booth.
We got to our hotel. Inside the rooms, we found brochures about Lhasa ("Lhasa is thriving and marching towards a modern plateau city") and leaflets offering tips to help fight altitude sickness ("Avoid tobacco... Eat a high carbohydrate diet... Don't take shower on the first day").
We were then allowed out into the centre of Lhasa. Many of us headed straight towards the Potala Palace (surely one of the most breathtaking buildings in the world).
In front of the palace, there's a giant sign: "Every ethnic group calls for the people to be united to welcome the Olympic Games." (Our translation from the Chinese.)
We found small crowds wandering through the square opposite the palace. Some watched performers practising for the torch relay ceremonies. Others took pictures of themselves in front of cutouts of the Olympic mascots.
Then, further along the main avenue, we passed four military trucks. In two of them we saw - very clearly - several dozen soldiers wearing riot gear. A reminder that Lhasa is not a normal city.
At night, senior officials from the Tibetan government (which answers to the Communist Party in Beijing) gave us a press conference.
Palma Trily - the executive vice-chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region - told us that stability was returning to Lhasa "but we cannot say that public order has been fully restored".
I asked him whether or not he thought the Dalai Lama might one day return to this city.
"He has not brought any benefit to Tibet - either in the past or in the future... We believe the answer [as to whether he will return] is up to him and his own attitude."
The torch relay starts early in the morning. I'll be there.
I’m 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~29~RS~)
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Manifestly loaded sentences James:
"A quick reminder of why getting into Tibet has been so hard: in mid-March, Tibetan monks and civilians in Lhasa led several days of (sometimes violent) protests against Chinese rule.
China sent huge numbers of security forces into Tibet to take back control - human rights activists say that many Tibetans were killed. As soon as the protests began, China sealed off Tibet."
The events on 14 March weren't "(sometimes violent)," they were IN FACT VIOLENT. Forget the parens, forget the sometimes, as video footage from that day showed, they were beating and lynching people on the streets, SIMPLY FOR BEING/APPEARING HAN. They also burned down Hui mosques. It is entirely misleading and disingenuous to aplogize for such actions by summarizing them in a parenthetical as "sometimes violent." Shame on you James, really ... Shame!
Yet, at the same time, you amplify the unsubstantiated claims of "human rights activists" who ALLEGE that "many Tibetans were killed" while deleting and omitting both the Chinese presentation of the numbers as well as the Chinese presentation of the Han who were killed on that day, whether burned alive by arsonists in a store or simply beaten on the streets by roving bands of weapons-wielding Tibetan hooligans.
And when it comes to Chinese police your overt use of terms such as huge and other media's over-use of terms such as "crack-down" perpetuates the McCarthy-esque stereotype of Chinese as a horde of Red out to "crack-down" on everything.
China has 1.3 Billion people -- What about China isn't "huge?" You could have a Chinese marching band armed with trombones and souzaphones and it'd be "huge" and "cracking-down" on sixteenth notes and B-flats! What nation does not have the right to maintain domestic peace via the use of police and security forces? God forbid China should act quickly and sternly to end ethnic cleansing on the streets of Lhasa, which by the way, was what was happening on 14 March.
This time James, your approach, presentation, and vocabulary has belied your meagre attempts at facial neutrality to China and revealed some, evidently, deep and latent biases. Those of us who gave you a chance, including myself, are sure to be dissapointed by this particular blog entry. What will certainly not be tolerated are blatant attempts to apologize for the racially-charged brutal violence perpetuated in Lhasa on 14 March.
Shame James, Shame.
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This is such a controversial topic. The unrest in Tibet can be judged in two opposite points of views. However, the Olympics in Beijing is an international event that should not be politicalized by the disputes of the tibetan outcasts and the Chinese government.
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I visited Lhasa when I was a child; it's such a cool trip that I could still remember it vividly. My mom bought me some traditional bracelets, a gemmed dagger, and kids at school were so jealous. I have to admit, I didn't like the tea that much. The place and the local people are so exotic and peaceful. and now we still think that the locals seemed very much content with their lives back to then.
This is why I am so upset about the recent riots, violence, although I am thousands miles away. it's just sad to see those images on TV like wrecked cars, destroyed buildings, security people, smoke-covered streets, in such a beautiful and ancient city. I do question those people, Tibetans or not, who grew up overseas and never set their feet on the land, are the right people to represent. do they really care about how the locals live their lives, or they are merely fighting for some sort of ideology?
Most of what you saw now about the city make me feel sorry for you; although we probably have different reasons for all of these.
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I think the only problem there is that the Chinese government was too nice to treat you, west journalists. The government should ignore you and let you to hire cars,to find place to live and to overcome altitude stress by yourselves. I also have read the Everest Diary written by BBC correspondent. I think the government is afraid of that if you died without the care of government because of the altitude stress when you visit tibet,your colleagues definitely would make up a story to tell people how you were murdered by Chinese government.
The reason why west media can dare to demonize China is that Chinese people are too nice when they face west.
As far as I know, as a Chinese citizen, I have heard of lots of grumbles about that Chinese government always give special benefits to foreigners. For example,early this year in the train collision French tourists were prior to rescue and also early this year in the storm many trains were delayed and foreigners were prior to get food and sleepers. Even many Chinese people complain that the government is a slave of westerns. In the past some of Chinese people thought that if we were nice to west the west would be nice to us, but what happened in this year about tibet issue and the history of China between 1840 and 1945 have told us this idea is totally wrong and naive. So more and more Chinese people have started to reflect upon their friendly attitude to the west.
James, maybe for you it is awful to see Chinese amry in the street, but for us,ordinary Chinese people, it means that we are secure when we see the army.
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Waiting for you truely report about torch relay in Tibet.
And I just want to remind you, you feel safety right now only because the government has controlled the situation in Tibet.
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Hi James, it's been a while since the last time I commented on your report, but I have been following your progress closely - thanks for your persistent and hard work.
I am surprised as you are, that the BBC has been allowed into Tibet. I want to wish you to have an open mind when reporting in Tibet. May I suggest that do not just look for dissent in Tibet, as I'm sure you will find it, and I think everybody knows that. Please spend justifiable time to interview normal Tibetan people, the kind of people that has benefited from the improved living standard in Tibet, see what they thinks of the Olympic games and the government - because I am sure there are lots of people in this category as well.
Please try not to paint a black and white picture of Tibet that it is a repressed, or a living hell, because it is clearly not, the entire China is colourful place, with shining bits and plenty of black spots. And your job as a journalist is to accurately report in full colour, not black and white stereo types that people already have.
Good hunting!
Ting
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Personally I want Chinese government puts a harder line to Dalai and Tibetan seperatists, ignoring all unfair Western media and governments' criticisms. Even if China has the same political system with Britain or US, all those sort of things will happen anyway, the bottom line the West can not stand a non-Western superpower. All are doing no harm to China, just ignore it, no Western country dare to send troops to China again anyway.
China tries to be friend of everyone, US particuliarly(all other Western countries are little brothers of US),but don't need to bow to anyone.
Tibet has been and will always be a part of China, no matter how hard the West has been trying to steal it!
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James, I'm eagerly anticipating your eyewitness account. But are you really allowed to go out freely to report without a Chinese agent tailing you?
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Hi, james
take care yourself and crews, be safe. wish you good luck in Tibet.
cheers
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In 1974 the Tibetan Government in Exile chose a stance on the situation of China's illegal occupation of Tibet.
Instead of asking for complete freedom the path they chose was to request Genuine Autonomy for Tibet WITHIN the People's Republic of China (similar to the situation Hong Kong is in today).
That was 38 years ago. Since then His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people has travelled the world promoting his messsage of peace and compassion for all of mankind and genuine autonomy for Tibet. The Chinese Government continue to call him a splittist.
I am a Buddhist and a follower of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Along with the Dalai Lama I rejoice in the fact that Beijing is hosting the Olympics this year but do not rejoice in the ongoing repression of the Tibetan people. Additionally along with the Dalai Lama, and following his international request I have prayed for the many Chinese who suffered as a result of the terrible Earthquake which devastated parts of China earlier this year and I praise the Chinese Government for their speedy response to this tragedy.
Today the Olympic Torch will pass through Lhasa, the Capital of Tibet. I plead with the Chinese government and Chinese people around the world to open their hearts to the Tibetan People and Tibet. Let us all rejoice with China for her upcoming games but let us all at the same time have a genuine desire for world peace and peace in Tibet.
While the torch passes through Lhasa let us all celebrate with China and her people while at the same time being truly mindful of the fact that those living in Lhasa (and Tibet) are still suffering serious repression and do not have the freedom which they desire, a freedom of basic human rights.
I pray for China, for Tibet and her people and for world Peace. I pray that the Chinese Government will dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his envoys and agree to grant "GENUINE AUTONOMY TO TIBET".
Ohm mani padme hum.
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China sent huge numbers of security forces into Tibet to take back control - human rights activists say that many Tibetans were killed. As soon as the protests began, China sealed off Tibet.
dear James,
why you always write report as you are one of the protesters---control, killed, sealed off. i know you go to China for a great report, but till now, you upset us in many ways. many readers say you don't even know how to quote, you often use it is said, said by who? proof? you are writing a story or report?
plz don't put your own emotion in this report. China government is far from perfect, but i hope you can report it in an objective view.
besides James, you are doing a good job, i have to confess, you've made big progress these days. keep on...
"Ao yun jia you! Zhong Guo jia you!" (translation: "Go Olympics! Go China!")
i don't think this translation is correct.
the photo you took in kashgar is quite ......,
see other photo, the people are so excited with the torch. i don't know out of what you posted that pic in your report?
if you report the torch relay, you should post a pic taken in the torch relay, not after it.
best regards
Jack Hassen
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There were thousands of police in each and every city that hosted the torch relay, were they normal cities? How come that makes Lhasa an unnormal city?
And I really don't understand WHY the western miedia ALWAYS post pictures of China with a policeman or a soldier in the pictures. Yes, always, at every opportunity, every occasion, every ceremony, every place.
I just wonder that you would only take a photo when a police is included with a police-sensitive camera, just to creat the artificial and false impression of overwhelming suppression.
Stop this preconceived obsession of image with a police.
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World scholars do not dispute that Tibet is part of the Ching Dynasty(1644-1911). After Ching Dynasty, Republic of China(ROC 1912- ) rejected the British Simla Convention. Representative Chen YiFan in a written statement said:
"Government of ROC refuses to recognize any agreement with His Majestys Government and Tibet might conclude
independently either now or in the future."
Then, Mao's PRC(1949- ) took mainland China. He sent troops throughout the territory to assert sovereignty. His PLA troops went into Tibet in 1951. This was reported as a military invasion. Chinese historians disputed it because (1)Tibet was part of the Ching and (2)ROC refused Simla Convention.
In 1954 Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said at the Lok Sabba: "Over the past several hundred years, as far as I know, at no time has any foreign country denied Chinas sovereignty over Tibet." The Prime Minister was informed on the issue.
Princess Wen Cheng, who married the Tubo tsampo, king of Tibet, in 641, is enshrined in the Potala Palace. The Tang-Tubo (ancient name of Tibet) Alliance Monument erected in 823 still stands in the square in front of the Jokhang Monastery. The monument inscription reads:
"The two sovereigns, uncle and nephew, having come to agreement that their territories be united as one, have signed this alliance of great peace to last for eternity! May God and humanity bear witness thereto so that it may be praised from generation to generation."
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James Reynold saw several dozen police in riot gear and so claim Lhasa is "not a normal city". I am afraid Mr Reynold has came up with another piece of sensationalist news here. Did ge not recall hundreds of police in riot gear in London, Paris and San Francisco? Perhaps these too are "not normal cities"?
If he cares to look at other cities around the world wether it is the Olympic torch relay, G8 summit, football matches, etc, he would have noticed police in riot gears. As for the crowd being hand picked the US election is a prime example. Even in the UK I am sure unless you are hand picked you wont be able to attend the wreath laying ceremony at the cenotaph on Rememberence Sunday. At the Royal Ascot the other day how many common members of the public got in to participate in this alleged public event? Not unless you have a pass, a big bank balance, dress appropriately and background scrutinised.
Rather than criticising the Chinese government for intolereance western journalists should stop being alarmist and show tolerance but that wont happen because jpurnalist stir things up to keep themselves in the job.
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A nice report. It reminded me of the scenery that I experienced during my latest visit to Lhasa.
Lhasa has become a well developed modern city and is developing. There is nothing propaganda about it. Progress is progress.
Thanks to the hard works of the concerned officials that the relay went smoothly and nothing like what happened in Paris and London took place.
Riots and disrruption of the types that happened in the recent past effect the lives of the most common Chinese and Tibetans.
If there is anything good that anyone in the world has as gifts for the Tibetan people, then these things should be tried through a high level round table conference, without effecting the lives of common people or causing ethnic clash. It is heart breaking to see innocents dying or killing each other in the streets.
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James, thanks for reporting the real scene of Tibet. The Olympic Torch rally in Lhasa is mere a symbol of CCP control in occupied Tibet. The Torch is a symbol of Torture in Tibet and not peace. You mentioned in that "we passed four military trucks. In two of them we saw - very clearly - several dozen soldiers wearing riot gear. A reminder that Lhasa is not a normal city." thanks for letting the outside world know that Lhasa is not a normal city and no free access of media in Tibet clearly shows that something is going wrong in Tibet.
IOC WE NEED FREE MEDIA IN TIBET AND IN CHINA. PROOF US THAT OLYMPIC IS FOR HARMONY AND FOR PEACE.
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To kyizom, Lhasa is not a normal city, not yet. Not long ago, its schools, shops, hospitals were set on fire, bank broken into, Han and Hui were bashed and stabbed on street, police stoned and had to run for their own life. It is not a normal city it was a stage for religious extremists to put on an ugly show of excluding no-believers.
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the world is funny, sometimes.
It is funny to see westerner crying out for a 'free Tibet'. Believe me, no other nations really care about the healty and prosperity of Tibet, except Chinese.
It is funny to hear Dalai Lama talking about 'democracy'. what he mourns over is 'slavery system' that was deprived by the CCP.
its is funny to have UKers complaining about us mentioning the Opium War, go and check: UK, India, Tibet, Opium War.
It is funny to see Chinese government trying to find excuses for what they are fully entitled to do. Being too soft sometimes harms.
It is a pity that something is ruined between Chinese and the west, and perhaps it has never existed.
It is a pity that we do not have more overseas visitors to Beijing, owning to visa restriction and new foreign policy.
it is a pity that Beijing poeple lose interests and confidence in France and are not travelling to France in this big sales season.
a chaotic, seprated world, is that what we want?
I am sorry for this dreadful 2008, when heaven snow, flood and earthquake scared us and killed us. When stupid people in the street protesting (including the Chinese oversea students', when I lost 70% of my portfolio in stock market.
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hi James in your writing you have named Pema trinley...and he said Dalai lama has not benefited for tibetan,i personally feel that this man feared of comunist policy,if this man get a chance to vistt Dharamsala Inda .He will tell to His holliness The dalai Lama that i have to say this because of the communist govt..if he says this with the fact he is not knowing What is Dalai Lama ,uptill now why the world support Tibet cause..Chinese govt is showing the Tibet serfdom i admitted that there was serfdom as a Dalai lama deeds but during that times serfdom syatem is in Russia,Inda and even in China,as compare to those serf dom system Tibetan Community in generally were less brutial then those of others.
what Dalai Lama has to do when His holliness was head ,he is just teenage...Dear reader what do you think what The Dalai Lama is ? Chinese Govt is seing things in very narrow minded way..sometimes i feel what they trying to will itself breakdown upon them..because chinese people are hardworking people and they will never ever let their hard earned to be simply corrupted...Dear James if you meet this person again tell him you are saying this things for dalai Lama is simply disgracing and embracing the communist goverment..behalf of those unspoken Chinese and Tibetan i want to say to those people who is corrupting and making Chinese people feel helpless.beating doing injustice to peaceful demonstrator .a day will surely come like Nazi where punished by Russian..
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Serfdom in China, India, Russia....... yes in part of China, Tibet part of China. Less brutal than serfdom in other part of the world? You'd better go back to it and give it a trial. Your dear Dalai Lama may decide to have you skinned for religious ceremony.
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wonderfulchinese - there is no secrecy in what the Dalai Lama has been doing and saying, its all out there. He has even said publicly that the Chinese officials can come to Dharamsala and find out for themselves (unrestricted access). You should read the books by and about the Dalai Lama. You should listen to his speeches. I am a Tibetan living in United States. Folks here are very open minded and strong believers in freedom and liberty. These are the foundations of happiness.
I'm not here to defend and say that there was no serfdom in Tibet because I've read books by Tibetan authors who have mentioned about it. Tibet was not perfect. The Dalai Lama for most part was a religious leader being regarded as the Buddha of Compassion. The politics and day to day administration were handled by the the Tibetan Cabinet.
The Chinese regime has always provided this same argument about "serfdom", splittist etc. They thought that their brainwashing of Tibetans for more than 30 years have changed the Tibetans, so the communist regime invited "fact-finding" delegations starting in 1979. They wanted to show that Tibetans are happy under the Chinese rule. When those delegations reached Tibet, the Tibetan's reaction turned out to be completely opposite. It was very clear without doubt that the Tibetans were living miserably under the Chinese rule.
The Chinese government propaganda machine is working quite effectively as I can see from the various comments. I met one Chinese at Columbia University who was shocked to learn that his government has distorted history and information to such an extent that it could become a joke. He was taught in school pretty much the same thing as your comments. But when he read the books by and about the dalai lama and listened to his speeches, he told me that he will educate his friends and relatives about the truth. The Chinese communist is only a few millions, they have managed to bring with them some more with their new-found wealth, but they fail to know that there's a billion out there who are suffering under the regime. There will be a revolution.
Chinese folks have suffered for too long. Its time for them to rise up and fight against this brutal regime.
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To peace-4-all.
I never listen to a polititian. To you, Dalai Lama is your living Buddah. You listen to him. And you think what he said is true. To me, he is a polititian. A polititian who has been actively working on international political stage for half a century. There are very few experienced polititians like him in this world. I check his history and watch what happens around him.
In feudal Tibet, under Dalai Lama's rule, most Tibetans lived a miserable life without freedom.While slaves and serfs lived in shocking poverty without basic healthcare or education your dear holly Dalai Lama lived in splendid Pudala Palace. Slaves and serfs are subjected to torture and mutilaation-including eye gouging, hamstringingand amputation.......
Do not tell me this is CCP's propoganda. As I got this from western scholars who had done their research on Tibet.
What had upset the Tibetan lords the most is the 1959 land reform in which the communists abolished slavery. The High Lamas and landlords had their land stripped off them and distributed to slaves and serfs.
Your dear Dalai Lama did not abolish the slavery, it was the communists who did it and your dear Dalai Lama was not impressed by it. Then came the "1959 uprising" which was extensively assisted by the CIA. It failed within 2 days. According to CIA "Many Lamas and lay members of the elite and much of the Tibetan army joined the armed uprising but in the main the populace did not, assuring its failure"
It is true that during culture revolution the religious freedom was severly restricted and monks sufferred. But it is a simple fact that during the last 20 years Tibetans like other ethnics in differrent part of China have enjoyed such progress in living standard, housing, healthcare and education.
For your information, a recent large scale international public opinion survey by the PEW Research Center found that86% of the Chinese surveyed said they were content with the country's direction. Chinese people are enjoying their country's fast development. Why did you get it from? I mean the "There are a billion people outthere sufferring under the regime"? You are living so much behind the time and know too little about thye current situation that is why you found it hard to understand why there are so many Chinese support their government. You jump onto the conclusion that we are all government propoganda machines. I believe most of Chinese people who are in this forum are well educated professionals. We only want the world to know today's China. We had put up enough lies from the western media.
The "revolution, rise up and fight with the brutal regime" stuff. Chinese people have long ago abandoned that kind of idea. What people want is peaceful development. You want Chinese people to get rid of the government lifts millions (including Tibetans) out of poverty each year? Through uprising? Are you OK? I can not see any peace you would be able to bring about, for all?
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wonderfulchinese ....
Tibetan scholars and authors have also written about the issues and problems in Tibet in the past. No society was perfect at that time. Just like anywhere in the world there were problems in Tibet. However there was no poverty. There were differences in the standard of living, there were gaps between rich and poor. But this does not give the Chinese communists the right to invade and occupy Tibet. This does not give the Chinese communists the right to torture and murder Tibetans and brutally suppress them.
The actual misery and poverty started after the Communist invasion of Tibet in 1950. It was not just Tibet, but in China also. Millions of Chinese people also died (70 to 80 million) during Mao Tsetung's rule.
If the Chinese government has nothing to hide, why is it there is no freedom of press in China. Forget about freedom of press, there is no press in Tibet - period. When responsible Chinese lawyers in China offered to provide legal assistance to Tibetans, they were threatened. In late March, 2008 several Chinese intellectuals appealed to the Chinese government for a change of policy on Tibet, offering 12 suggestions. So its quite obvious there is a problem - a big problem.
You are right in saying "What people want is peaceful development." What people also want is happiness. Both are inter-related. Hurting other people, suppressing other people's views and opinions and destroying other ways of life, building fear in people's mind does not lead to happiness and peace. They generate resentment. Peace and happiness can come from dialog and mutual understanding. In Buddhism there is something called the "ultimate reality" which means that all humans are same - because they all seek happiness.
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I hope that you and the other news organisations; had a educational time in Tibet...and also, did many reports on Tibet...
--Dennis Junior--
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