Monk protest scuppers controlled media tour of Tibet

Tibetan monks staged a daring protest against Chinese rule, disrupted anofficial government tour for foreign journalists with screams that the DalaiLama was not to blame for violence and demands for religious freedom.

The astonishing outburst by about 30 monks came as the first group ofjournalists to visit Lhasa since the violent March 14 riot was being shownaround the Jokhang temple, the holiest shrine in the Tibetan canon.

An Associated Press reporter, Charles Hutzler, described one young Buddhistmonk who yelled “Tibet is not free! Tibet is not free!” and then burst intotears.

He described how the monks had rushed over to stop the reporters from beingtaken into an inner sanctum of the temple, saying they were upset that agovernment administrator was telling the journalists that Tibet had beenpart of China for centuries.