WORLD BRIEFING / CHINA

China warned the West not to “put its fingers into” Tibet as the anniversary of riots in Lhasa passed with heavy security to prevent any challenge to Beijing’s rule.

On March 14 last year, rioting broke out in Lhasa after days of protests against Chinese rule by Buddhist monks, leaving 19 people dead and sparking waves of protests across Tibetan areas. Exile groups say more than 200 people died in the crackdown.

This year on the anniversary, a web of troops and police deterred any flare-ups.

The official New China News Agency said of Western critics:

“They might as well bow their heads, mourn those who died in the Lhasa riots last year, and think twice before putting their fingers into something they are ignorant of again.”