China ridicules Dalai Lama, attacks US

CHINA pilloried the Dalai Lama yesterday and criticised the United States for suggesting Beijing talk to the exiled Tibetan leader, as authorities further tightened security to prevent unrest during a volatile anniversary period.

A ban on foreigners travelling to Tibetan areas was widened to include the remote Jiuzhaigou valley this month, 50 years after a failed uprising against Beijing’s rule and a year since violent protests across a quarter of China’s territory. Paramilitary police, a constant presence in Tibet and surrounding provinces since last year’s protests, have poured into the area in larger numbers, ringing it with checkpoints.

In the Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa, paramilitary police in riot gear and with automatic rifles stood at the entrances to alleys leading to the Jokhang temple, a frequent focal point for protests. “There seem to be more paramilitary police, but overall I still feel safe,” said tour guide Tudan Danzeng.