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Peaceful street marches by Tibetan Buddhist monks over previous days gave way to bigger scenes of violence and resentment in the remote, mountainous region.
The US Embassy said it had received reports of gunfire in Lhasa and advised its citizens to stay indoors.
"Now it's very chaotic outside," an ethnic Tibetan resident said by telephone.
"People have been burning cars and motorbikes and buses. There is smoke everywhere and they have been throwing rocks and breaking windows. We're scared."
Another ethnic Tibetan resident said there were 'protests everywhere'.
"It's no longer just the monks. Now they have been joined by lots of residents," the man said.
The eruption of anger comes despite China's repeated claims the Tibetan people are grateful for improved lives, and it threatens to stain preparations for the Beijing Olympics.
"We feel that this very heavy-handed response is not commensurate with the very moderate approach of the demonstrators peacefully expressing their aspirations," said Thupten Samphel, a spokesman in Dharamsala in India for the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile.
"We appeal to the international community to persuade the Chinese authorities to deal with these demonstrations moderately. We believe to address their grievances is much more important than to physically suppress them."
Chinese rule in remote, Buddhist Tibet has become a focus for critics in the run-up to the August Games, with global marches this week to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Communist rule spilling into Tibet itself.
Those marches apparently emboldened Buddhist monks to take to Lhasa's streets, defying a heavy police presence and reports of lockdowns on several monasteries, sources with knowledge of the region said.
On Friday, 300 to 400 residents and monks demonstrated in Lhasa, a source cited a witness as saying, capping the protests that echoed the anti-government demonstrations that rocked neighbour Myanmar last year.
"Some are angry and some are scared. The security forces are checking houses to see if any monks are hiding," said the source, who is in touch with Tibetan residents.
More than 10 monks had been arrested and tanks were patrolling the square near the Potala Palace, the source said, referring to one of the architectural wonders of the world once the winter residence of Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Witnesses said a number of shops were set on fire, and a report from China's Xinhua news agency said the Tromsikhang Market in central Lhasa was also in flames.
CHAOS
Residents spoke of general chaos around the city, and one Tibetan man said Tibetans and minority Hui Muslim traders from other parts were fighting each other with rocks and knives.
A Han Chinese resident said the protests were being directed at the city's Chinese population.
"The Han Chinese are really scared," the resident said. "We have been told not to go outside."
"It is very chaotic. There is lots of smoke and police around," said another Han Chinese man. An editor at the Lhasa Evening News said staff were staying inside.
Two residents reached by telephone referred to martial law.
But that could not be confirmed and China's State Council Information Office declined to comment, referring only to remarks made on Thursday by a Foreign Ministry spokesman who said the protesters were 'seeking to spark social turmoil'.
The demonstrations in Lhasa earlier also spilled into at least one other ethnic Tibetan area of China.
Hundreds of monks from the Labrang monastery in the northwestern province of Gansu led a march through the town of Xiahe, the Free Tibet Campaign said, citing sources in Dharamsala, home to Tibet's government-in-exile.
The region has been periodically restive since Chinese troops invaded in 1950. Nine years later, the Dalai Lama staged a failed uprising against Chinese rule and fled into exile in India.
China imposed martial law in Tibet in 1989, the same year as the Tiananmen Square protests were crushed in Beijing, to quell anti-Chinese demonstrations, when President Hu Jintao was the Communist Party boss in the region.
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RatingTibet asked help of Nehru when China occupied it.Nehru on the contrary ordered to shut the ORDINANCE FACTORIES for sake of peace.The result are here
Now is the time for the international community to stand by with the ethnic Tibetans and show solidarity and free Tibet from the clutches of China. Tibet was,is and must be an Independent country.Chines occupation is illegal and must be condemned by all Nation.If the Inteernational community wil not support then who will.Please free Tibet.
It is the right time that UNO takes appropriate action against China and atrocities being committed on Tibetan people be stopped immediately. If China does pay heed to the UN, the world should boycott Olympic games to be held in China as a protest against China's dictorial attitude and habit of intimidating the neighbouring countries.
China is never going to free Tibet. It has already grabbed India's Aksai China (Thanks to Nehrus military policies). It is also in process of grabbing large chunk in AP.You can't fight China. It is too big and powerful to India. Also with communist in India favourable to China, there seems to be little political will.It will not take even a decade for China to cease India's northeastern parts.
Most monks in Tibet including dalai lama are cowards, they take back route and run into India. when Indian government asks them to sign papers they protest. They are double sided. No use protecting them. Leave them alone
THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR INDIA TO CORNER CHINA ON TIBET ISSUE, REMEMBER SHAMELESS CRUEL CHINA HAS BEEN ANNOYING INDIA BY CLAIMING NEARLY ALL NORTH EASTERN STATES AS HERS BUT WILL THE GUTLESS INDIAN GOVT DO IT?? NO BECAUSE IT SUPPORTED BY THE COMMIES WHO ARE CHINESE AGENTS
The people of are rebellious against the despotic Communist China’s murderous cliques in Beijing. The rebellion is not confined to Tibet only; the rebellion against the brutal regime in Beijing has spread to all the provinces adjoining Tibet (Xinjiang, Qinghai Sichuan, and Yunnan) and other remote provinces in the east (Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. The people (Mongols) of Inner Mongolia (much of its lands looted and incorporated with the neighbouring provinces) are also determinedly struggling for independence from the oppressive communist gangs in Beijing. The people of Tibet and China is Spiritually united with the ‘Mighty Living Virtuous Sprit’ of the Dalai Lama who will be triumphant over the wicked sprit of the Beijing’s Communist gangsters.
China's might is being felt clearly all around its boundry and beyond. This is linked to China's economic might. While Indian politicians fight against each other for political power and do not give darn to fast economic development of country, China's policians concetrate on making their economy as superpower economy. Indian politicians must open their eyes and concetrate on the fast economical development of country before it is too late. China has already claimed a part of Uttaranchal Pradesh as a part of their country. None of us would like to see whatever China is doing to Tibetans may do to the people living in areas claimed by China. This is should be stern warning and wake up call to the politicians in India to unite start preparing to fight for freedom of the areas claimed by China.
When the entire world is mute spectator to China's occupation of Tibat, then why Indians alone should protest? China still has thousands of kilometers Indian territory under its occupation and we are still negotiating to get back, how can we help Tibetans? India's foreign policy is based on lodging Protest whether there are terrorits camps in occupied Kashmir, or repatriation of uncle Quottorochi from Malaysia or Argintina or it is Daud Ibrahim, or to get Abu Slem from Portugal, we beg and kneel down so Tibatans should not expect any more help from us and have to look themselves. Don't mind if we welcome Chinese leadership or Maynamar's dictators, and bear in mind that no one is allowed to organize any protest on the visit of any dignitaries of these countries.Please Tibetans, bear with us our inability.
USA/nato must liberate Tibet.It is like KOSOVO issue.But USA has borrowed trillion dollar from china.They or the EU will not act as trade and their own welfare comes first.Russia and Japan can broker peace with China.Maybe our communists can use their great influence.But they are nandigram experts.Tibet needs to haveindepndent autonomy.
More than anyone else, Chinese should know that Tibet is not China, and neither is China a Tibet. It is not an angry argument, but a passionate appeal to the Chinese intellectuals. Even though I am not a Tibetan or Chinese, the fact of the argument can be seen in the visual photographs available in thousands over the internet showing everyday life of Tibet and it's people. They seem simple and poor people, still living in medival times; even though the clothes are modern for youngsters, everything material around them is primitive. People still are making living with primitive kind of job activities, which the traditional chinese are abandoning in places that are more advanced. History, religion and philosophy of Tibet also seems different, and overlaps with that of Indian subcontinent. At the least, the Tibetans deserve a better deal under Chinese rulers. They are obviously frustrated as they are truly neglected and discriminated, which is unbearing in modern times.
world community must wakeup and support the independence of Tibet. Protests to be organized world wide. Spiritual leader Dalai-Lama must return to independent Tibet soon. Enough of Chinese occupation.
It is time India under the leadership of Sonia and Communists who are supporting to liberate Tibet from China like Indira did liberating Bangladesh from Pakisthan. Congress may lose votes of communists or power in India but they will win hearts of Tibetans the landless and refugees in India
If the Tibetans in Tibet are really happy as claimed by the commies, then why are the local Tibetans demonstrating against them? Tibet was an independent nation once. The reason why the world is not supporting Tibet is because they do not have anything to gain from her independence. If Tibet had rich oil resouces, I am sure the USA would have send its armed forces to protect the region. Remember what happened to Kuwait in the 1990's. China is a tyrant nation who will not hesitate to kill its own people. All freedom loving people in the world should urge their governemnts to support Tibet indepemndence. China has been shamelessly lying to the world for the last 50 years. One day this ruthless regime will swallow India. It is shamelessly says the State of Arunachal belongs to them.
The all Indians irrespective of class and creed andn religions must support the Tibatians for thier struggle against the Chinese dictatorials rule.If the Commies of the Country can demand freedom for the Nepalese from the rule of thier own king nothing can prevent the Commies to support the Tibatian struggle for freedaom.
IV. THE RIGHT TO RETURN TO ONE'S HOME AND THEROLE OF HOUSING AND PROPERTY RESTITUTIONA. The right to return to one's home22. The right of return is now understood to encompass not merely returning to one's country, but to one's home as well. Indeed, the right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes is recognized by the international community as a free-standing, autonomous right in and of itself.13 In 1980, the General Assembly, in its resolution 35/124 on international intervention to avert new flows of refugees, reaffirmed "the right of refugees to return to their homes in their homelands". This understanding is important in order to protect effectively the right to return of refugees and displaced persons and in order to ameliorate situations leading to instability and displacement.This is a an excert I pulled form UN's website.So India and Nepal has an obligation of supporting the Tibetans going home and violation will be against the UNs resolution. I hope India and Nepal will adhere to the United Nation's charter.
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