Beijing Stokes Terror Fears, Calls Protesting Monks “the scum of Buddhism”

Beijing claims the “Dalai clique” is planning Olympic attacks. The Chinese leadership must be feeling a little nervous with protests having spread to the Muslim northwest of the country. With so many foreign journalists around they can hardly fake the attacks, as some claim they did in Lhasa. They want things to be smooth, but are hedging their bets in case they aren’t, and will use the West’s favorite buzzword: terrorism. In fact, it’s surprising the Dalai Lama hasn’t been labeled a terrorist or equated with Osama Bin Laden. Oh, wait. He has. Beijing has called protesting monks, “the scum of Buddhism” and is trying to stoke fears of terrorism as an excuse to lock down the Olympics even more tightly. That’s all right. Anyone who’s been on on a plane recently knows all about gratuitous “security.” Plus: Show your solidarity! Shave your head on April 10th! 53 more protesters were arrested in Nepal, which continues to be a hotspot of portests.