Chinese 'strike hard' before key Tibetan date

BEIJING - Chinese authorities carrying out a "strike hard" campaign in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa have raided thousands of homes and businesses, run checks on 5,766 suspects, and detained at least 81 people, including two for having reactionary music on their cell phones, according to official reports and news accounts.

The state-controlled Tibetan Daily on Sunday and the Lhasa Evening News last week said the campaign targeted criminal activity such as burglary, prostitution and theft, and was needed to uphold the city's social order.

But activists who support greater autonomy for Tibet said the motive behind the campaign, which began Jan. 18, was to detain those involved in last spring's riots and to warn off others who support Tibetan independence.

Chinese leaders are worried about the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising. On March 10, 1959, Tibetans rose up against Chinese rule, but the rebellion ended after 20 days with the flight of the Dalai Lama into exile in India.

Beijing-backed Tibetan lawmakers have proposed a new holiday this year, on March 28, the day China announced the dissolution of the Tibetan government, to mark the "liberation" of Tibetan serfs.

Lhasa's investigative police force mobilized more than 600 people and 160 vehicles to check 2,922 rented apartments or houses, 14 hotels and guesthouses, 18 bars, and 3 Internet cafes, the Lhasa Evening News said, according to a translation e-mailed by the International Campaign for Tibet, which advocates for more autonomy for the Himalayan region.

The police push follows 10 months of tight security after rioting broke out March 14 last year, leading to the deaths of at least 18 civilians and one police officer and sparking antigovernment demonstrations and a government crackdown.

"Strike hard" campaigns have historically been launched in China to fight crime and corruption. But in this case, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that "the motive is to intimidate and eliminate those supporting Tibetan independence and human-rights activists in Tibet."

The security bureau in Lhasa said that they had no information and suggested other officials, who were not available.

Tens of thousands of armed police continued to patrol Lhasa yesterday, said residents contacted by phone. Some speculated that the raids were deliberately timed just ahead of the Lunar New Year. Some Tibetans have said they won't celebrate until the return of the Dalai Lama, while others said they prefer the Tibetan New Year, which occurs next month, over the Chinese one.