China has blocked access to Google News and YouTube in an apparent attempt to stop the spread of video footage related the rioting going on in several cities in Tibet, including the capital Lhasa. Demonstrations in the city started on March 10, a day commemorating the anniversary of a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule after which the spiritual leader of the country, the Dalai Lama, fled to India.
China has said the Dalai Lama is to blame for rioting in the country, and puts the civilian death toll at 13, while adding that police and security forces have also suffered casualties.
The Dalai Lama has denied involvement in the rioting, and said he has “no such power to stop it,” in a video of a recent news conference posted on his Web site.
Foreign media have been banned from Tibet, according to a CNN video, which says the station has not been able to send a team to report the news. China’s own press is run by the state.
