BEIJING, China – Michael Smith, an Australian tourist, captured violence in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in video on Friday.  The video shows Tibetans smashing windows and setting fire to Chinese shops and cars, while people are heard cheering. Han Chinese, China’s largest ethnic group, operated many of the businesses targeted by the rioters.  It also shows Chinese security forces, but no clashes between them and the rioters. No deaths or injuries were seen on the video.

Smith said he “met so many Tibetan people on the streets, so many young Tibetan boys just screaming for Tibet’s freedom.”  One young Tibetan male shouted to Smith’s camera “We don’t have any freedoms.  “The Tibetan people are going crazy.  It’s absolute mayhem on the streets,” Smith said.

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CNN – Tourist video shows riot, flames in Tibetan capita – 18 March 2008

CNN – Tourist films Tibet riots – 18 March 2008