China reopened Tibet to foreign tourists Wednesday, three months after
a harsh crackdown on anti-government protests that sparked an
international firestorm.
Statements on Tibetan government
websites say they are resuming foreign tourism following last
Saturday's run of the Beijing Olympic torch through the Tibetan capital
of Lhasa. The statements declared the torch run a success, and said it
was a victory over "separatists" and proved that social stability in
the territory had been restored.
China halted all tourism in
Tibet after the March 14 anti-government protests and subsequent
crackdown. Beijing allowed domestic tour groups back into the region
in late April.
China says 22 people were killed in the
demonstrations, but Tibet's government-in-exile says more than 200
people died in the crackdown on mostly monk-led protests.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
