JURIST - Paper Chase: Tibet courts to conduct mass prosecution of anti-China protesters

[JURIST] Tibetan courts will swiftly prosecute demonstrators involved in protests against Chinese rule in Tibet [BBC backgrounder] last month, according to Friday state media reports. A top Tibet official was quoted as saying that over 1,000 protesters will face prosecution before May 1. Chinese officials have blamed the exiled Dalai Lama [personal website] for organizing the protests by Buddhist monks in the capital of Lhasa last month. Chinese officials and state media have also accused Western media of falsely portraying the protests as peaceful and of defaming Chinese efforts to develop Tibet.

China says that 19 people died after skirmishes between pro-Tibet protesters and Chinese authorities last month, but the Tibetan government-in-exile [official website] said that 130 had died [JURIST report]. The Dalai Lama has denied accusations that he was behind the riots and has said that he supports true autonomy for Tibet, not outright independence. Reuters has more. VOA has additional coverage.

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