Above is the uncropped photo with a Chinese policeman in disguise holding a knife, distributed to news media by the Chinese Embassy. Below is a copy of the picture of the same scene in Lhasa but with the man with the knife now missing, which was distributed after the man's identity was revealed at a rally in Darmasala. 
Montage of pictures from Tibetan riots.The Chinese government-controlled media was silent for nearly a week after the bloody conflict broke out in Tibet. In the last few days, however, the media have used photos from the crackdown to show images of "rioting" Tibetans.
On March 22, the cover story of Xinhua.Net, official voice of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), included photos of the "Truth about the March 14 Lhasa Riot." One of the photos appears to have been staged by the CCP. It showed a policeman, dressed as a Tibetan, wielding a knife and damaging property. This finding cast doubt on the reliability of the CCP reports.
In addition, the CCP accounts of events have been inconsistent. Xinhua reported that some areas were placed under martial law by paramilitary police, who "shot into the sky." However, the local authorities initially said that they "did not fire a single shot." At first the CCP was adamant that no Tibetans were shot. Recently, they have admitted that some Tibetans were shot and killed "out of self-defense."
China Initially Silent
The Tibetan protest was the largest since 1989. The Chinese government reported 10 fatalities, while the Tibetan government in exile said that more than 100 Tibetans were killed.
Eight days after the conflict began, Xinhua.Net published a cover story about the conflict that criticized the Tibetan movement. It also reported "evidence" of rioting by the Tibetan people.
For full coverage please see Repression in Tibet
Usually when a brutal suppression such as this happens, the CCP engages the entire propaganda machine to frame the victims and hide its own crimes. This time, the CCP media were initially silent about the crackdown. Even reports by the local authorities in Tibet were extremely brief.
Analysts believe that the CCP is betting all its chips on the Olympic games. Although the human rights issue is frequently raised and has bothered the CCP, it has not been heightened to the extent of turning the opinions of international media. In addition, the CCP appears to think it should be able to control international public opinion until the Games begin in August.
March 10 is a politically "sensitive" date in Tibet. The CCP is usually on high alert for problems. It was therefore unusual for the unrest to occur under the CCP's close watch.
The CCP was put on the defensive when photos of Tibetans being killed were published online. The CCP found itself in a precarious situation and had to tell its version of the story in order to control public opinion.
The media were silent at first then suddenly focused on the situation in Tibet. It is difficult to say whether this was because of inadequate coordination or different opinions, within the government, about how to handle the situation. Policeman Dressed as a Tibetan
An interpreter from the Dalai Lama's Office told a Sound of Hope Radio reporter that a Chinese woman living in Thailand, who was traveling in Lhasa on March 14, saw a man, dressed as a Tibetan and holding a knife, join the riot. Later, she recognized him as a policeman in BBC TV footage and in news photos provided by the CCP.
The woman told a Tibetan organization in India what she had seen. At a gathering on March 17, the organization publicized the photos. The CCP embassy provided two sets of photos to the media. The fake "Tibetan" man had been removed from the second set.
However, perhaps due to the lack of communication, the "modified" photo was not sent to Xinhua.Net. As of March 22, a photo of the "armed Tibetan man" was still being published on Xinhua.Net as evidence of the need to use violence to control the Tibetan people.
Denial of Shootings
Another key issue is whether the police were firing at the rioters. According to sources in China, the Lhasa Police Bureau issued a statement on March 14, that allowed paramilitary police and police to shoot protesters.
However, since the very beginning, the CCP has denied the use of guns. At one point, it admitted to "shooting at the sky." It wasn't until the international community showed photos of Tibetans being shot that the CCP admitted to using guns "out of self-defense" on March 16 in Sichuan. The CCP claimed that four people were injured.
These contradictory statements are reminiscent of the CCP statement during the Tiananmen Square Massacre: "No bullets were shot on Tiananmen Square, and no one was killed."
Expelling Outside Media
As soon as the conflict started, the CCP expelled over a dozen reporters from Tibet, Hong Kong, and mainland provinces close to Tibet, using the excuse that they were protecting the reporter's personal safety. However, it also confiscated all audio and visual material obtained by those reporters.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association protested this treatment. Many other outside media expressed disappointment over the severe censorship. Such actions are causing concern about whether international media can openly and truthfully report on the Olympic games in the way the CCP promised it would allow.
On March 22, the cover story of Xinhua.Net, official voice of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), included photos of the "Truth about the March 14 Lhasa Riot." One of the photos appears to have been staged by the CCP. It showed a policeman, dressed as a Tibetan, wielding a knife and damaging property. This finding cast doubt on the reliability of the CCP reports.
In addition, the CCP accounts of events have been inconsistent. Xinhua reported that some areas were placed under martial law by paramilitary police, who "shot into the sky." However, the local authorities initially said that they "did not fire a single shot." At first the CCP was adamant that no Tibetans were shot. Recently, they have admitted that some Tibetans were shot and killed "out of self-defense."
China Initially Silent
The Tibetan protest was the largest since 1989. The Chinese government reported 10 fatalities, while the Tibetan government in exile said that more than 100 Tibetans were killed.
Eight days after the conflict began, Xinhua.Net published a cover story about the conflict that criticized the Tibetan movement. It also reported "evidence" of rioting by the Tibetan people.
For full coverage please see Repression in Tibet
Usually when a brutal suppression such as this happens, the CCP engages the entire propaganda machine to frame the victims and hide its own crimes. This time, the CCP media were initially silent about the crackdown. Even reports by the local authorities in Tibet were extremely brief.
Analysts believe that the CCP is betting all its chips on the Olympic games. Although the human rights issue is frequently raised and has bothered the CCP, it has not been heightened to the extent of turning the opinions of international media. In addition, the CCP appears to think it should be able to control international public opinion until the Games begin in August.
March 10 is a politically "sensitive" date in Tibet. The CCP is usually on high alert for problems. It was therefore unusual for the unrest to occur under the CCP's close watch.
The CCP was put on the defensive when photos of Tibetans being killed were published online. The CCP found itself in a precarious situation and had to tell its version of the story in order to control public opinion.
The media were silent at first then suddenly focused on the situation in Tibet. It is difficult to say whether this was because of inadequate coordination or different opinions, within the government, about how to handle the situation. Policeman Dressed as a Tibetan
An interpreter from the Dalai Lama's Office told a Sound of Hope Radio reporter that a Chinese woman living in Thailand, who was traveling in Lhasa on March 14, saw a man, dressed as a Tibetan and holding a knife, join the riot. Later, she recognized him as a policeman in BBC TV footage and in news photos provided by the CCP.
The woman told a Tibetan organization in India what she had seen. At a gathering on March 17, the organization publicized the photos. The CCP embassy provided two sets of photos to the media. The fake "Tibetan" man had been removed from the second set.
However, perhaps due to the lack of communication, the "modified" photo was not sent to Xinhua.Net. As of March 22, a photo of the "armed Tibetan man" was still being published on Xinhua.Net as evidence of the need to use violence to control the Tibetan people.
Denial of Shootings
Another key issue is whether the police were firing at the rioters. According to sources in China, the Lhasa Police Bureau issued a statement on March 14, that allowed paramilitary police and police to shoot protesters.
However, since the very beginning, the CCP has denied the use of guns. At one point, it admitted to "shooting at the sky." It wasn't until the international community showed photos of Tibetans being shot that the CCP admitted to using guns "out of self-defense" on March 16 in Sichuan. The CCP claimed that four people were injured.
These contradictory statements are reminiscent of the CCP statement during the Tiananmen Square Massacre: "No bullets were shot on Tiananmen Square, and no one was killed."
Expelling Outside Media
As soon as the conflict started, the CCP expelled over a dozen reporters from Tibet, Hong Kong, and mainland provinces close to Tibet, using the excuse that they were protecting the reporter's personal safety. However, it also confiscated all audio and visual material obtained by those reporters.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association protested this treatment. Many other outside media expressed disappointment over the severe censorship. Such actions are causing concern about whether international media can openly and truthfully report on the Olympic games in the way the CCP promised it would allow.
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