A shadow has been cast over the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing in the wake of strict Chinese crackdowns on Tibetans who are calling for greater autonomy.

In the last few days, news of violent clashes between protesters and Chinese authorities has been broadcast across the world.

It is feared that athletes and spectators may boycott the August games. That would not only embarrass China — which has faced strong international condemnation for its poor human rights record — but would undermine its huge investment into preparing for the enterprise.

According to the Associated Press, the uprising is the broadest and most sustained against Chinese rule in almost two decades, and it has sparked demonstrations in neighboring provinces in western China. Thousands of troops and police have been deployed to contain the unrest.

The Chinese government says at least 22 people have died in Lhasa since clashes erupted earlier this month; Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed.

Here in New York, protests have been unfolding outside the Chinese consulate in Manhattan. Present during the recent demonstrations was Rockland resident Kalsang Gyal, a native Tibetan who lost his grandfather and others to a conflict with Chinese soldiers early on in the occupation.

In a March 22 article in The Journal News, staff writer Hema Easley reports that Gyal plans to march this week to the Chinese embassy in Washington.

“People inside Tibet, their lives are at risk,” Gyal, talking through a translator, told Easley. “The least we can do is walk.”

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