Uprising In Tibet?

Things appear to be more than a little unsettled in Tibet at the moment. The protests appear to be led by Buddhist monks - just as they were last year in Burma.  

The protests — initiated by Buddhist monks — have been growing since Monday, the anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Beijing rule. Tibet, an autonomous province, has long sought independence from China.

Roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces and military trucks pushing back riot police, a witness told CNN.

Chinese bloggers and U.S.-based human rights groups said Chinese security forces had sealed off the three main monasteries around Lhasa after the violence broke out.

The bloggers also said police wearing armored vests were moving toward Lhasa in armored personnel carriers.

In a statement, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader and the head of the Tibetan government in exile, said he was "deeply concerned" by the developing situation and said the protests were "a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people" under Chinese rule.

Chinese authorities have blamed the Dalai Lama, exiled since 1959, for the unrest.

"I appeal to the Chinese leadership to stop using force and address the long-simmering resentment of the Tibetan people through dialogue. I also urge my fellow Tibetans not to resort to violence," the Dalai Lama said.

Protesters appeared to be targeting shops and vehicles owned by Han Chinese, the predominant ethnic group in China.

My friend Agam , the guy I turn to for all things in that part of the world (he is in Thailand) has a lot more on what has been going on in Tibet, from many sources. This is not going to make China happy. If they brutally repress the protests, there will be real problems with them and their Olympics. If they are smart, they'll start negotiating a settlement now rather than risk that.