2008 Tibetan Unrest

The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. What originally began as an annual observance of Tibetan Uprising Day resulted in street protests by monks, that later descended into rioting, burning, looting, and killing by March 14. The violence was mostly directed at Han and Hui civilians by Tibetans participating in the unrest. Police intervened to prevent the conflict from further escalation. At the same time but also in response, protests mostly supporting the Tibetans erupted in cities in North America and Europe. 18 Chinese embassies and consulates were attacked.

According to the Chinese administration governing Tibet, the unrest was motivated by separatism and orchestrated by the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama denied the accusation and said that the situation was caused by wide discontent in Tibet. The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama held talks on the riots on May 4 and July 1 of the same year.

During the riots, Chinese authorities would not allow foreign and Hong Kong media to enter the region. Domestic media downplayed the riots. Only James Miles, a correspondent from The Economist, gained approval for a week-long trip which happened to coincide with the increase in tensions. According to Miles, the riot police response was tame, but Tibetan exile groups claim a brutal crackdown. Western media speculated that the violence might affect attendance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but by and large it did not.