International reactions to 2008 Tibetan unrest

This article gives the international reaction to the 2008 Tibetan unrest, from countries worldwide. The 2008 Tibetan unrest was a series of protests and demonstrations, met by excessive force, focused on the persecution of Tibetans in the buildup to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. There was a mixture of outrage and understanding from leading figures abroad.
Tibet.
The 14th Dalai Lama in India called on the Chinese government to stop using force, and later urged the Tibetans to refrain from violence. He accused China of cloaking soldiers as monks to incite riots, and gave a picture as proof. He restated said that he is pursuing greater autonomy for Tibet, as opposed to full independence, and that he has "no desire to sabotage" the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Nations.
Between March 28 and 29, 2008, the Chinese government organised a visit to Lhasa for 15 diplomats from Brazil, Japan, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Singapore, Tanzania, Australia and the United States. Several diplomats said they were satisfied by the level of candour shown by the Tibet Autonomous Region government. Diplomats from Singapore and Tanzania expressed support for the actions of the Chinese government.
Protests.
A series of protests were held around the world as a response to the unrest in Tibet. The protests in Tibet started on 10 March on the anniversary of the failed uprising against the Chinese Communist government, and then spread to provinces of China where there were a large concentration ethnic of Tibetans, including Gansu and Qinghai
The Tibetan community in neighbouring India where many Tibetans are settled organise protests yearly on 10 March against the Chinese particularly in the town of Dharamsala - the fact that China is hosting the Olympics also featured prominently in the protests.
There were protests along the route taken by the Olympic torch, in France the route had to be cut short due to the protests while in London attempts were made to snatch the torch and extinguish the flame. In San Francisco the authorities changed the route to avoid protesters and US presidential hopeful Barack Obama asked for the games to be boycotted in China if it does not take steps to improve its human rights record.
International protests.
Asia.
Tibetans living in the Indian state of Meghalaya closed their businesses and staged demonstrations to protest the Chinese crack down in Tibet. Hundreds of Tibetan exiles in India marched from the town of Dharamsala to the Indo-Chinese border, to mark their protest against Chinese occupation of Tibet. Indian authorities arrested more than 100 Tibetan protesters. Indian police also arrested a dozen Tibetan exiles attempting to storm the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.
In Tokyo, Japan, over 100 Tibetans living in Japan and members of a Japanese group supporting Tibetans in exile marched in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, shouting slogans of protest against China on 16 March. It was originally planned as a part of the torch relay for Tibetan Olympics 2008.
 On March 22, 2008 over 900 Tibetan exiles and Japanese supporters protested in Roppongi, Tokyo.
 Zenkō-ji, a Japanese Buddhist temple that was originally scheduled to be the starting point for the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Nagano, withdrew from a plan to host the relay, citing safety concerns over the torch relay and by solidarity of monks with the Tibetan buddhists. The temple was then vandalised.
44 Tibetan exiles were arrested by Nepali police in Kathmandu on Monday. Police used bamboo batons and tear gas to break up protests outside a UN complex in the latest crackdown on demonstrations by ethnic Tibetans in Nepal. The protesters insisted they were protesting peacefully.
In Insadong of Seoul, South Korea, several citizens gathered for protesting against the Chinese government. Many of them were from one group in particular, called "Tibet's Friends"(티베트의 친구들)
Europe.
On Thursday, March 20 in Vienna, Austria, several Tibetans intruded upon the Embassy of China in Austria, taking down the Chinese national flag and damaging the Embassy facility. The Ambassador requested an urgent meeting with Foreign Affair Officers of Austria and protested at the inability of local police to protect the Embassy.
Tear gas was deployed by local riot police in Paris, France on Sunday, March 16 where over 500 protesters gathered outside of Chinese embassy on Paris's chic avenue George V. A demonstrator managed to climb the building and removed the Chinese flag, replacing it with the Tibetan flag. 10 people were in police custody at the end of the demonstrations.
Tibetans in Germany stormed the Chinese Consulate in Munich on Monday, March 17. Protesters set the Chinese flag on fire and sprayed slogans including "Save Tibet" and "Stop Killing" on the front door. 26 were detained by local police.
On March 24, 2008, during the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Olympia, a French activist of the French-based group Reporters Without Borders managed to breach the security and tried to unfurl a banner behind China's Olympic chief Liu Qi who was making his speech at the moment. The protester was quickly removed by security personnel. Later on, as the torch relay began, another Tibetan woman covered herself with red paint and lay on the ground, forcing torchbearers to weave around her as other protesters shouted "Flame of shame." The Greek government condemned the incident as disruptive.
In Budapest, Hungary, about 200 people held a protest at the Chinese Embassy. They chanted "Free Tibet", threw rocks and paint-sacks at the building and broke one of its windows. Police arrested two protesters.
In Reykjavík, Iceland, police protected the Chinese Embassy as roughly forty protesters peacefully protested outside, chanting slogans and waving flags. Numerous Tibetan refugees participated in the protest. The steps leading up to the Chinese Embassy were covered in red paint by a protester,
 and three members of the political youth organisation Ungir Jafnaðarmenn attempted to deliver a letter of disapproval to the Chinese Embassy, which was closed prior to their arrival and surrounded by the police.
In Rome, Italy, several hundred Tibetans and Italians held a peaceful candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Embassy.
In Lithuania, a small group of Lithuanians held a peaceful protest in front of China's embassy in Vilnius on 17 March. On 20 April 2008 more than 60 bike riders protested on the streets of Vilnius, by the China embassy and demanded at the Presidential palace not to visit Olympic games opening in Beijing.
In The Hague, Netherlands, about 400 protesters attempted to storm the Chinese consulate. They managed to take down the Chinese flag and replace it with the Tibetan flag.
In Zurich, Swiss police fired tear-gas at Tibetan independence demonstrators who tried to storm the Chinese consulate.
In London, United Kingdom, two protesters who had a history of interfering with the exhibition placed placards upon Terracotta Warriors on loan to the British Museum. On March 22, 2008 Tibetan exiles and British supporters protested in London.
Security for the Olympic torch relay which arrived in the UK on the 6th of April 2008 was enhanced over fears that it would be hijacked by protesters. During the flame's progress through the city it was followed by a group of vociferous protesters. Early in the relay one demonstrator managed to temporarily seize the torch, and another attacked it with a fire extinguisher. Similar tactics were used by protesters the following day in Paris, who managed to forced the run to be abandoned the torch travelling aboard support vehicles for most of its progress.
North America.
In Canada, on Monday, March 10, 2008, several members of the Students for a Free Tibet sneaked into a neighbouring property and climbed onto the building of the Consulate General of China in Toronto, Ontario, and replaced the Chinese national flag with the Tibetan flag. Some of the protesters were later detained by the local police. The Consulate General stated that such action violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
On March 11, 2008, many Tibetans protested in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington DC, however it turned into a riot with one Tibetan throwing a stone at the window. It ended with two or three Tibetans arrested.
On Friday, March 14, 2008, some Tibetans protested in front of the Consulate General of China in Calgary, Alberta. Three protesters managed to enter the consulate and attempted to lower the Chinese national flag. One of them was forcefully detained by Consulate staff and was later released after a negotiation between the local police and the consulate.
On Thursday, March 20, 2008, approximately 200 - 300 protesters gathered at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario to protest China's treatment of the Tibetan people. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a dozen other Ministers of Parliament urged the Chinese government to show restraint in handling the situation in Tibet.
On Sunday March 23, 2008, several hundred Tibetans and supporters protested in downtown Toronto, Ontario.
In New York City, United States of America, more than 100 people staged a protest outside the United Nations Headquarters. The New York City Police Department said they arrested six pro-Tibet protesters trying to enter the building.
On March 29, hundreds to thousands of pro-China protesters in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver rallied in the downtown area to urge for calm in the situation and calling for China and Tibet to remain as "one family".
In San Francisco, California on April 7, 2008, two days prior to the actual torch relay, three activists carrying Tibetan flags scaled the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge to unfurl two banners, one saying "One World, One Dream. Free Tibet", and the other, "Free Tibet '08".
Among them was San Francisco resident Laurel Sutherlin, who spoke to the local TV station KPIX-CBS5 live from a cellphone, urging the International Olympic Committee to ask China not to allow the torch to go through Tibet.
The three activists and five supporters face charges related to trespassing, conspiracy and causing a public nuisance.
On April 13, a crowd of more than 6000 ethnic Chinese (some sources report it as more than 10,000) gathered at Parliament Hill, Ottawa from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and nearby towns for a pro-Beijing rally, during which they sought to publicize what they called the 'truth of Tibet.' The event, which erupted in small skirmishes with pro-Tibetan protesters, featured nationalistic songs and chants, and included accusations of Western media bias in covering Tibet.
Oceania.
On Saturday, March 15 in Sydney, Australia, during a chaotic clash with Tibetan protesters outside the Chinese consulate, the police used capsicum sprays and batons in an attempt to control a group of about 40 agitated Tibetan protesters. Several of the protesters entered and then exited the consulate, and thereupon the protesters attacked a plain clothes Australian police officer. Seven protesters in total were arrested. On March 18, police again had to restrain protesters outside the Chinese consulate in Sydney.
On April 13, Chinese-Australian demonstrators took to the streets in Sydney, Australia and protested against bias in Western media reporting in relation to the Tibetan issue and the 2008 torch relay. They also voiced their objection to Tibetan independence and their support for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The New South Wales police estimated that around 6,000 people attended the protest.
 News outlets in China reported about 5,000–6,000 participants.
English-language media outlets in Australia downplayed the event, major newspapers such as "The Sydney Morning Herald" and "Daily Telegraph" of the following day made no mentions of the event despite both containing articles on the Tibetan unrests, while television broadcasts reported only the Sydney protest (failing to mention the march in Melbourne) and significantly fewer participants: about 1000 according to Australian state-owned broadcaster, the ABC or only "several hundred" according to Channel Nine; Channel Nine also stated that the demonstration was concerned only about disruptions to the Olympic torch relay, rather than the primary stated target of media bias in the portrayal of the entire Tibet-related episode.
On the same day, around 5000 Chinese students and Chinese-Australians participated in a similar march in Melbourne. An argument ensued between a Free Tibet supporter and pro-China protesters, but the march concluded without incident.