Netizens attack claims police joined Lhasa riot as ´monks´

Source: Xinhua | 04-05-2008 08:08

BEIJING - Chinese netizens have shown a vigorous response to Western media reports on the riots in Lhasa, disapproving of coverage that they contend favored allegations from the Dalai Lama's backers: that Chinese Armed Police in monks' robes joined the rioters.

A picture was leaked on the Internet showing tens of Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP) servicemen, wearing summer uniforms and holding monks' robes. This photo was linked to allegations by the Dalai clique that those PAP members dressed as Tibetan monks and rioted on March 14 in Lhasa.

The picture was shortly discredited by Chinese netizens who identified obvious inconsistencies in the picture.

First, the summer uniforms of the PAP shown in the picture could not have been worn by the armed forces while they were on duty on March 14 in Lhasa, where it was cold at the time.

Second, since 2005, all PAP members have worn shoulder badges, which are not visible in the picture. Their absence indicates the picture is outdated.

An Internet user showing an IP address of 192.168.25.* said that the picture was originally uploaded on a website affiliated with the Dalai clique's "government-in-exile".

However, the original picture has a caption saying: "This photo was apparently taken when monks refused to act in a movie, so soldiers were ordered to put on the robes", the netizen said.

Following the picture on its original webpage was a story by an alleged "free press" outlet in Canada, which said that British intelligence had confirmed the Dalai clique's allegation that Chinese military members had imitated monks in the riot.

"How could a picture, which was taken in connection with a performance, be used as evidence to accuse the Chinese government and be relayed as an erroneous report by the Western media?" the netizen queried.

A netizen posting from 121.31.116.* said that the Dalai clique's "government-in-exile" exists on lies and schemes and some Western media have relayed those lies and rumors.

Chinese and Western media have clashed since the beginning of the Lhasa riot, an individual using the screen name "Qiu Zhenhai" said in a posting.

Many Western media organizations, including CNN, observed events in Tibet through rose-colored glasses. Their reports, inconsistent with the facts, could be imputed to Westerners' "Tibet complex" and the difference in political values between China and Western countries, the netizen said.

A netizen posting from 60.215.184.* said that the Chinese government's handling of the riot in Lhasa was an internal affair and asked why some Western countries always acted like a world savior. "If the southern part of the United States declares independence, would you agree? If Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom asked for independence, would you agree?" the netizen said.

Another netizen, visiting from 60.167.73.*, said that press freedom did not mean the freedom to make up a story or incriminate others with false evidence. The netizen said that such behavior was an infringement of human rights.

The netizen suggested suing Western media organizations that produced false information on the riot, using the facts and evidence in China, and ascertaining the responsibilities of the authors, editors and their organizations.

Yet another netizen said in a posting on www.sohu.com that the Chinese government should take a harder line in handling the Tibet issue, since whatever the government did, the Western media, holding deep-rooted bias against China, would not stop its criticism.

Western scholars, politicians and media have made elaborate efforts to create a favorable press environment for their countries, and the United States is obviously a beneficiary of that situation, a netizen using the name of "Feng Yiju" said on www.southcn.com.

The netizen called on Chinese citizens to boycott the Western media's reports and express their own perspectives and interpretations of Chinese issues.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei