China ups death toll in Tibet riots

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

KANGDING, China (Reuters) - China said 19 people were killed in riots in the Tibetan capital last week and official media warned against the unrest spreading to the northwest region of Xinjiang, where Uighur Muslims bridle under Chinese control.

Eighteen were burnt or hacked to death in the Lhasa violence, Xinhua news agency said.

The rising toll comes amid mounting international concern over China's handling of the protests, overshadowing the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games in August that the host hopes will be a celebration of its arrival as a world power.

Xinhua said 18 civilians and a policeman died in Lhasa. A total of 382 people were wounded, 58 seriously. Arsonists set fire to 908 shops, 84 vehicles, seven schools and 120 homes, the agency said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK26733920080322

[4dsc]

1. Boycott the Olympic's n/t

[Zynx]

3. I agree.

Btw, I'm going to pre-empt those who say, "But the U.S. is worse." China has invaded its neighbors in the past with invasions of Vietnam in 1978 and India in 1962. China sells arms all over the world and has even helped to proliferate ballistic missile technology to Iran. China too engages in economic imperialism with it taking huge investment stakes in third world countries. On these measures, the comparison is a push.

The big difference is that China is a vile dictatorship that opresses 1 out of 5 human beings in the world within its own borders, crushes political dissent, and destroys the environment in shocking fashion.

[ohio2007]

2. Does Taiwan have a team ? Maybe they should GO to the Olympics

Taiwan: Voters to decide UN membership

Rome, 21 March (AKI) - Taiwanese voters will decide whether the island should join the United Nations in referendums being held this weekend.

Aside from the presidential elections on Saturday, voters will be asked to vote in two referenda, one from each of the two main parties, on Taiwan should be a member of the international organisation.

Taiwan currently has no seat at the UN, having lost it to China in 1971. Its many subsequent attempts to regain membership have also been blocked by China.


snip
Beijing is extremely unhappy that the referendums are taking placel. China believes that any endorsement of a seat at the UN, is a move in the direction of formal independence.

Approval "would deal a serious blow to cross-strait relations that would harm the fundamental interests of people on both sides", Chinese premier Wen Jiabao said earlier this week.

snip



http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=1.0.1996884591

Trouble to the south, trouble in the western provinces and now the island to their east is starting to stir.

Maybe the people of Taiwan will vote against joining ?

[stimbox]

4. It's like the L.A. riots only in China. n/t