Tibet to Re-Open to Tourists

The Tibet Autonomous Region government will resume giving foreigners permits to enter the country on May 1 after closing to tourists for six weeks as a result of violent clashes between Tibetan protesters and the Chinese government. Tibet tourism officials are hoping that Tibet’s tourism allure will overcome tourists’ fear of additional violence in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital. The Chinese government reports that 18 civilians died in the Lhasa violence but exiled representatives of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, say about 140 people died in Tibetan areas. The announcement of the reopening of Tibet comes at a time when there are daily protests surrounding the carrying of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch, which at press time is hesitantly making its way through San Francisco. The Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing this August