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Unusual images from Tibet are shared on social media. Hundreds of people took to the streets this week to protest the protracted blockade of the crown. The protesters are not ethnic Tibetans, but rather look like Han Chinese immigrants to Tibet. The protests are believed to have already occurred on Wednesday.
Several videos show large groups of people standing in front of the police. There are also many people in white suits. Healthcare workers in China wear such coveralls to prevent them from spreading the virus further. In the footage, the police appear to clash with the crowd, but it’s all hard to see due to the image quality and darkness.
This is one of the videos, shared by the VOA Tibetan news channel:
Tibet is located in western China and borders India, Nepal and Bhutan. In 1912 the region declared its independence from China. The country has been able to act highly autonomously for 38 years, while still being heavily influenced by China. This ended in 1950, with the invasion of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to reclaim the region from China. Since then, Tibet has been under the direct rule of Beijing.
On several occasions, the Tibetan people rebelled against China’s strong interference. The Chinese government claims to develop the area, but the local population feels oppressed. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to learn their own language and maintain traditions.
In 2008 there was a major revolt of the local population against Chinese rule. He was severely beaten by the Chinese authorities.
Han Chinese
But the images that have surfaced show that now mainly Han Chinese are taking to the streets. This would concern the Chinese who came to Tibet because they cannot find work in their hometown. Because of the crown they are now stuck and have no work.
The Chinese online platform Weibo tells the story of a woman who says she was jailed for 80 days. She would like to leave the capital Lhasa, but her paperwork is complicated. According to her, more effort is needed to get out of Tibet than if you want to travel overseas from China.
The crown appears to be a growing problem in rural China and in areas far from big cities such as Tibet. There are not enough facilities in these regions to detect and stop new outbreaks in time. Furthermore, there are not enough beds available in hospitals to treat people when they are sick. The fear of new outbreaks is therefore great.
Eight cases of corona were officially reported in Lhasa yesterday. The exact situation of the crown in Tibet cannot be determined. There are also reports that there is an oxygen shortage in Lhasa.
