China has allowed a group of foreign journalists an escorted visit to Tibet. News reports from non-state sources are coming out of Lhasa for the first time since protests and riots began two weeks ago. One described part of the city as a “war zone.”

The Chinese government and exiled Tibetan leaders have widely divergent estimates of the number of civilians killed, and coverage of the demonstrations has differed in foreign and Chinese media.

A small band of monks briefly disrupted the journalists’ visit to a temple, but Tibetans were largely resistant to discussing the situation with reporters, according to the Financial Times.

Read a summary of news reports on the BBC.

Or, read a direct account by the Financial Times or the Associated Press.

 WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
In this Article:
#buddhism#china#freedom#government#journalism#lhasa#media#monks#news#riot#tibet#violence