China Frees More Than 1,100 Tibetan Protesters

Probably in an effort to calm tensions before the Olympic torch runs through Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa, the Chinese government released over 1,100 people alleged to have been involved in March’s unrest, which brought the world’s attention to the country and left several dozen people dead.

The BBC:

The official Xinhua news agency quoted a senior official saying those freed had been held for minor offences connected with the unrest in March.

The announcement came one day before the Olympic torch relay reaches the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

In March, Buddhist monks led anti-Beijing rallies in Lhasa which grew into widespread unrest among Tibetans.

China says rioters killed at least 19 people in the unrest, but Tibetan exiles say security forces killed dozens of people.

Read more

Flickr.com / sfthqphotos

Tibetan protesters march in the streets of Lhasa in March before violent repression sparked unrest in the capital city.