Tibet has now seen six days of violence in its capital Lhasa, and in far distant rural areas of Amdo. During the first four days of peaceful marches by Buddhist monks and displays of Tibetan nationalism by regular citizens, the violence was meted out by Chinese security forces. On Friday and Saturday, citizens came into the streets in large numbers, often clashing with those same security forces.

The Chinese government predictably blames the Tibetan exiled leader Dalai Lama for their troubles; they have no one to blame but themselves. The forcible quashing of expressions of popular sentiment has unleashed a rage that has been building for half a century.

There is no longer a question about troops firing weapons at demonstrators, although the Party Secretary of the region denied it. Dozens of wounded have been treated in local hospitals. China admits to only 10 people killed, but eyewitness reports point toward a much higher number. All military forces in the Lhasa area have been deployed, and armoured vehicles (possibly mistaken for tanks) have fired into crowds...