China cracks down in Tibet as protests spread.

From AP:

BEIJING (AP) - Violence in Tibet spilled over into neighboring provinces Sunday where Tibetan protesters defied a Chinese government crackdown. The Dalai Lama warned Tibet faced “cultural genocide” and appealed to the world for help.

Protests against Chinese rule of Tibet were reported in neighboring Sichuan and Qinghai provinces and also in western Gansu province. All are home to sizable Tibetan populations.

The demonstrations come after protests in the Tibetan capital Lhasa escalated into violence Friday, with Buddhist monks and others torching police cars and shops in the fiercest challenge to Beijing’s rule over the region in nearly two decades.

“Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place,” said the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. He was referring to China’s policy of encouraging the ethnic Han majority to migrate to Tibet, restrictions on Buddhist temples and re-education programs for monks.

From Phayrul.com:

March 16 - Eight dead bodies have been brought into Ngaba Kirti Monastery according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. The bodies were brought in from the protest scene in Ngaba County, Sichuan Province. Sources say at least “30 Tibetans felled” after armed troops shot indiscriminately into the peacefully protesting Tibetans. Out of the eight bodies, one has been identified as Lobsang Tashi, a former monk in his mid 20s. The remaining bodies are unidentified at the moment. The monks in Kirti Monastery are currently offering prayers for the deceased.

TCHRD will continue to monitor and update as situation progresses.