Tibet Update (3/18): Situation Uncertain

News of events in Tibet and China is hard to come by at this point, thanks to a lockdown on information by Chinese authorities. There is news of a round-up in Lhasa, and scattered protests in other Tibetan and Chinese provinces, but most information seems to be coming from exiles and human rights groups and is hard to verify. The Dalai Lama has threatened to resign if the violence worsens, as he remains committed to non-violence and greater Tibetan autonomy but not independence. However, younger Tibetans (including, presumptively, some of the leaders of the violent protests in Tibet) are less patient and are demanding full autonomy for Tibet. The editors of the NY Times weigh in with this condemnation of China's crackdown, but stop short of calling for a boycott of the upcoming Olympic games as demanded by some activists.

UPDATE: As news in Tibet is hard to come by, so is decent analysis. Here's Scott Horton with a few words that are worth reading.

UPDATE II: For the best coverage of what's going on in Tibet, definitely keep an eye on Boing Boing for posts like this.

UPDATE III: Also, see this round-up of Tibet coverage at Wired's Threat Level, including explanations of efforts by Chinese and Tibetan citizens to get around China's blockade of online information. The post also includes links to Clinton and Obama's policy statements on Tibet. Both call for respect for Tibet and restraint by the Chinese authorities, though Obama also calls for "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet.

For all of our Tibet coverage, click here.