Patrick, Shanghai: Did yr western friend tell you to seal off Lhasa is also for economic benefit? And perhaps the same benefit applies to suppressing freedom of speech in mainland China, barring entry to Hong Kong of Danish - Pillar of Shame - sculptor Jens Galschiot of Group Color Orange.

Gene Asia, Singapore,

For the same economic benefit, they should have called off the world tour of the Olympic Torch. And should have sealed off Seoul and Nagano last week so that PRC mobs overseas would not be able to attack the pro-Tibetan crowds who knew nothing about Tibet because it is a sealed-ff place faraway.

Gene Asia, Singapore,

Lim in Johor Bahru

Can I ask you - should the above article by Jane Macartney have been published?. And if not why not? If the gist of the above article has not been published by Xinhua in China, why not?

Stuart Griffin, Leeds, England

It would be interesting to compare how many Tibetans died as a direct result of

a) The last 50 years of the old Theocratic Tibetan Goverment
b) The first 50 years of Chinese rule

Which do you think ?

Mike, Nottm, UK

What is the point of having an Olympic torch rally where the only ones cheering are nationalist Chinese, many of the routes changed & whole areas of cities closed off to avoid protestors. If the CCP where so desperate for a rally perhaps they should just have run 2000 circuits of tiananmen square.

Mike, Nottm, UK

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

Mike, don't just read Western media. Go to the Chinese media and websites too. You will get a balance view then. If not you are truly a biased and anti-China person.
Many Tibetan sufferings in d 1950s were by Tibetan high officials in power at the time.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Peter, London,

R u referring to Patrick, Shanghai's comments? I believe what he meant was West attacked China b'cos of its economic boom and rise. Not b'cos of freedom, human rights or Tibet which you people do not really know alot about.

I agree Patrick is absolutely right.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I believe normalcy has returned to Lhasa. The security force is enough to ensure the safe passage of the torch. China does not need to completely seal of the city.
China has changed so much sometimes to its dismay.

If need be I wld support execution of trouble makers and separatist elements.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

My Western friends.
U talk so much about freedom. R u totally free to do what you like? There must be laws that curb some of your activities which are considered not right. How u apply such laws is your way. The Chinese are also free too subject to their laws. How it is applied is their way.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

James Currie, London, U.K quoted Mahatma Gandhi's saying with reference to Tibet.

James, when the great Gandhi said those things he was referring to the British occupation at the time. He was advocating for Independence. Tibet is different. It is a province and lives are improving.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

william gibbons, beijing, china

William, don't tell me u r in China. If u r, can't u move around freely?
I do not think China really need to seal of the city of Lhasa just for the torch run.
Yes, William, the Chinese has awaken to western lies and interference. They can't be fooled anymore

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire said:

"I know more than a little about Tibet and the atrocities performed there by the Chinese in the fifities."
Did u witness what happened at that time? Were u there? If yes,u must be quite old now.
Come'on this is 21st Century. Tibet has changed 4 better.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Glenn, wales,

Glenn, if you are not going to watch the games, do you have to tell the whole world. Nobody will miss you, not to mention those leaders of the western world who indicated that they were not going to attend.

The Olympic games are for real sports persons and sports loving fans.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Kevin Webster, Plymouth, England:

Could you please suggest a proper method to have the torch replay finished smoothly whilst you know that some FREE TIBET activists promised to try their best to ruin the event there?

Yolande, sheffield,

When Israel retaliated against Hamas it's not crackdown but China arresting violent Tibetans who burnt people alive and that's crackdown. Double standards.

Alan, London, UK

Patrick, Shanghai - I know more than a little about Tibet and the atrocities performed there by the Chinese in the fifities. Some of the excesses of cruelty at that time beggar belief. And sometimes seemingly as much for entertainment as to subjegate the people.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

it's so funny, you say a lot if you know nothing about Tibet. Do you mean is that the so called freedom ?

Peter, London,

why so many people are easy to fooled.

Peter, London,

I only hope the Tibetan people can take solace in the following quote;
"...When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always... Exploitation and domination of one nation over another can have no place in a world striving to put an end to all war..."

Mahatma Gandhi

James Currie, London, U.K

a western friend told me the reason why western media attacks China is fundamentally economic benefit, not the so called freedom and human right, actually, they know a little about tibet.

Patrick, Shanghai,

this is pathetic, how can you have an olympic celebration, which is for the whole world then close down a city and stop people coming and going...this is the disgusting face of communism...when are chinese people going to wake up to the fact that they have been lied to about their history

william gibbons, beijing, china

It's good to know what measures the Chinese govenment had took to insure the security during the torch pass in Lhasa rout.
Since the riot on March 14 I think it is necessary to seal off the city out of the potential dangers.

Jack , Beijing, China

China cannot face reality so it attempts to mold and shape reality to fit its version. This is the way it has always been under the CCP. But this strategy can only work so far - let them eat cake.

Stuart Griffin, Leeds, England

The amount of security required, as shown in the photograph, surely makes this exercise wholly pointless, and grossly embarassing to both the Chinese authorities and the Olympic Committee.
I for one will not watch any of this devalued Olympics.

Glenn, wales,

Surely tghis is sufficient proof of the draconian methods used by the Chinese to supress the Tibetan's. The so called free world should at best boycot the opening ceremony in protest and show our support for the Tibetans, let them see they are not a forgotten people.

Kevin Webster, Plymouth, England