China outlaws international tourism to Tibet indefinitely

Authorities in China alerted foreign travel agencies on Tuesday that they would no longer be issuing entry permits to Tibet, the latest in a series of regulations authorities are putting on travelers to Tibet. The announcement follows the self-immolation of two Tibetans last week. On May 27, two Tibetans were the first to set themselves on fire in Lhasa, Tibet’s tightly-controlled administrative capital, in an effort to promote Tibetan independence from China.

The people of Tibet have become familiar with Chinese interference in its tourism industry. In March of 1959, Tibet’s failed rebellion and the event’s annual memorial on National Uprising Day has chronically put the region at odds with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Protests after National Uprising Day in 2008 turned into riots that were met with violence by PRC forces. This led the Chinese government to temporarily close Tibet to foreign visitors. This has become a tradition in March, and during other national events significant to the Chinese government.