When riots erupted in Tibet last month, Beijing responded by ejecting all foreign journalists, giving the impression that it was planning to punish troublemakers behind closed doors. The protests started peacefully in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, but turned into riots on March 14, drawing a harsh response from the Chinese authorities.
The violence in Lhasa incited sympathy demonstrations in the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan , Gansu and Qinghai , and prompted the authorities to blanket the area with troops and paramilitary police. Tourists and journalists were warned to stay away.
With Tibet closed down, outside observers had no means of establishing the facts. Reports by the Chinese state media could not assuage international concern, because of a lack of credibility. Thus, the only way to show the true picture is to allow unfettered access to the troubled region.
With the Olympics looming, Beijing has been under heavy pressure to allow journalists more freedom to operate. A pooled visit was arranged on March 25 - a group of handpicked foreign journalists was taken on a government-arranged trip to Lhasa.
The stage-managed display of harmony backfired when the media tour was disrupted by a group of monks in the Jokhang Temple calling for greater freedom and support for the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader. The monks were agitated and several wept openly as they accused the Chinese authorities of lying to the visiting journalists. They promised further demonstrations.
The monks claimed the heavy security around the temple had been withdrawn only for the media visit. They said many of the people inside the temple were not genuine worshippers but had been brought in by officials to make it seem as if normal religious life had returned to the city.
The intrusion of the monks, who acknowledged they were taking considerable personal risks, undermined a carefully choreographed visit that was designed to show life was returning to normal in Lhasa.