Lhasa poised for further demonstrations

Chinese security officers were out in force in the streets of Lhasa on Thursday, as the Tibetan capital prepared itself for further protests from Buddhist monks and ethnic Tibetans against Chinese rule, the Financial Times reported. The demonstrations were timed to mark the 49th anniversary of the uprising which saw the Dalai Lama flee to India. Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet, also noted that the upcoming Olympics "present an opportunity for many groups and individuals to get together to press China on its human rights record." The protest began on Monday with a few hundred monks calling for religious freedom and the release of jailed colleagues. However, events soon snowballed to the point that Indian police had to stop 100 Tibetans marching across India to the Chinese border.