Foreign media given some access to Tibet
7 November 2008, 04:12PM
The journalists were accompanied by two Chinese officials but were among the first permitted entry since the Olympic Games and the March uprising.
Access to Tibet has been severly restricted since the March crackdowns aside from the controversial guided international visit permitted.
Relaxed media regulations put in place for the Olympic Games were on 17 October, extended permanently. This move was welcomed with some caution. However, these laws specifically excluded Tibet.
The access and information gained by Steve Lewis (News Limited) and Cameron Stewart (The Australian) is welcome but does not signal a move to press freedom in China.The journalists were able to publish photographs showing the level of Chinese armed forces in Lhasa.
What we must work towards is ensuring that Tibetan people can be safely interviewed, that future journalists - both foreign and domestic are able to conduct legitimate investigations and that access is unhindered.
Access is still completely denied to for Chinese media personnel who may want to report on issues in Tibet. Coverage of Tibetan issues in Chinese state owned material is still of course controlled.
The Australian presented a special report following the visit.
Here is an excerpt from Cameron Stewart in Lhasa, Tibet "In the ancient backalleys of Tibet's capital Lhasa a grim military operation has played out this week, hidden from the eyes of the outside world. As night falls, hundreds of Chinese troops fan out across this rebellious city, armed with riot shields and machine guns. They set up sentry posts on street corners and dispatch patrols in groups of six soldiers, three with shields and three with guns. These patrols spend the night snaking down the lanes of Lhasa's Tibetan quarter, looking for any sign of dissent from the locals. They glare at me as they pass, angry at the presence of a foreigner. When the sun rises, the soldiers do not melt away, but are replaced by a new rotation of troops. The military strangehold on Lhasa by day is maintained with one chilling addition - snipers are installed on rooftops around the city's most holy site, the Jokhang Temple, ready to train their guns on the hundreds of Tibetan pilgrims praying below in Barkhor Square. Only months after the Olympics, there is no post-games euphoria in Tibet. Hopes of greater autonomy and freedom have been stifled by Beijing which - stung by bloody anti-Chinese riots in March and by the indignity of the subsequent Olympic torch relay protests - has come down on Tibetans with an iron fist."
© Andy Wong AP/ PA Photo
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