16. Mar 2010
Tibetan students stage protest
(RFA) The headmaster and teachers at a Tibetan school in Gansu province were sacked after students staged a protest against tight government controls on the second anniversary of unrest that swept across Tibetan areas of the People's Republic of China (PRC), according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). "On March 14, [...] about 30 students from the Tibetan Middle School in Machu (Chin: Maqu) protested in streets close to the county centre", a local resident told RFA. "The student protesters were joined by 500 to 600 [other] Tibetans". "They were shouting against the lack of freedom, calling for Tibetan independence", he added. Security forces surrounded the protesters, with at least 40 people detained, RFA said. Several Machu residents estimated that about 3,000 Chinese security forces had been stationed in the area, further escalating tensions. Following the incident, the headmaster, teachers and the head of the county Public Security Bureau (PSB) were sacked.