Monday, March 9, 2009

Blasts rock Tibetan area as China ups security

Heavily armed Chinese paramilitary police patrol a street of Kangding, Ganzi prefecture of southwestern China's Sichuan province 3/9/09. China on Monday widened its security lockdown ahead of two sensitive anniversaries, issuing an emergency notice to seal off the volatile Tibetan Ganzi prefecture to all foreigners (AP/Ng Han Guan).

KANGDING, China -- Home-made bombs damaged police vehicles in a Tibetan part of western China on Monday, and authorities expanded a security cordon across the restive region ahead of the 50th anniversary of a failed revolt that sent the Dalai Lama into exile.

Armed police patrolled the streets outside Buddhist monasteries, which have been at the forefront of many protests. New checkpoints went up on previously open roads, the Internet and text messaging have been blocked, and the government ordered foreigners out of the mixed Chinese-Tibetan city of Kangding. More>>

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