Rudd to raise Tibet riots issue with Beijing

Melbourne, Mar.17 : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that he will discuss the situation in Tibet when he meets Chinese leaders in Beijing next month.

"On human rights questions we have differences with the government in Beijing. These most recent developments in Tibet are disturbing and from my point of view, I would call upon the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint," news.com.au quoted Rudd, as saying.

Greens Leader Bob Brown, howev3er, has said that Rudd needs to adopt a more aggressive stance on the issue when he meets the Chinese leadership.

"Our Prime Minister and this government has got to get some backbone over Tibet and speak up," he said.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has charged China with simulating an environment of peace through force and rule of terror.

The events in Tibet have led to protests in other parts of the world, with Tibetan communities from Australia to Europe and the United States staging protests.

Police yesterday opened fire on Tibetan protesters as anti-Chinese rallies spread outside of Lhasa.

The fresh outbreak of unrest, in southwest China's Sichuan province, reportedly left seven people dead in a dangerous escalation of a nearly week-long uprising by Tibetans against China's rule of the Himalayan region.

The protests, previously confined mainly to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, have presented China with a huge domestic crisis just as it is trying to present an image of harmony and peace ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

Foreigners in Lhasa have reported a massive security presence still in place as China declared a "people's war'' in Tibet to end what has become the biggest uprising against Chinese rule in nearly 20 years.

Despite being under intense international pressure to show restraint, China's communist government indicated it was in no mood to compromise on anti-Chinese elements in Tibet.

China has set a deadline of midnight tonight for those involved in the demonstrations to surrender.

ANI