80 deaths reported in the capital, Lhasa, during major anti-Chinese protests. Buddhist monks take leading role in pro-independence demonstrations.
Near a bridge in the centre of Xiahe, where the Labrang monastery is located, a shaven-headed young monk cautiously approached, looking all the time to see if he was in the eyeline of the unmarked police car at the bottom of the street.
"Four people were shot dead by the police," said the monk, crossing his arms across his heart and rolling his eyes back. "There was lots of trouble yesterday, and I'm going back there right now. I have to go."
China clamps down on unrest as riots spread across Tibet - Independent.co.uk
Local authorities pledged a harsh crackdown, risking China's attempt to shine as host of the 2008 Olympic Games in August. After days of silence about the escalating protests in Lhasa, the state-controlled media launched extensive coverage. Chinese television broadcast videos of the riots and identified protesters as violent saboteurs. Local officials offered rewards for informers and warned residents that anyone caught with a protester in their home would be punished.
The violence not only muddied China's 'one world, one dream' Olympics image, but also overshadowed what China had hoped to be the big news of the day -- President Hu Jintao's official reelection as president and the ascension of his likely successor, Xi Jinping, who was named vice president by the Communist Party-controlled legislature.
International Campaign for Tibet: Chinese Officials Call for Tibetan Protesters to Surrender