BEIJING — Three clashes between Tibetan protesters and police in western China in the past week have left several Tibetans dead and dozens injured. They mark an escalation of a protest movement that for months expressed itself mainly through scattered individual self-immolations.
In one case, a young man posted his photo with a leaflet demanding freedom for Tibet and telling police, come and get me. Police opened fire after people tried to stop them from taking him away.
The unrest is the result of growing desperation among Tibetans and a harsh crackdown by security forces that scholars and pro-Tibet activists contend only breeds more rage and despair. Tibetans want greater freedom and a return of their Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
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