By SPA
Brussels : European Union leaders expressed concern Friday about the violent protests taking place in Tibet, with Britain and Germany calling for dialogue and restraint, according to dpa. British Foreign Minister David Miliband said European governments would be seeking “clarification about what is actually happening on the ground,” adding that “restraint” and “substantive dialogue” were the only way forward. His German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, added his voice to Europe’s concern by calling for an end to the conflict by peaceful means.
EU leaders and government ministers were meeting in Brussels for their traditional spring summit.
The officials were commenting on reports out of Lhasa, the capital of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, where paramilitary riot police intervened to control protests initiated by Buddhist monks.
The protests apparently began on Monday, which marked the 49th anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that was crushed by troops. The Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s highest leader, fled to India after the uprising.