Tibet Bans Entry of Foreigners

After a festival that ended with two Tibetans setting themselves on fire, authorities in China have banned foreigners from entering Tibet.

“We received the notice from the local tourism authority around five days ago, so it is impossible for us to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit for foreigners. We have no idea when we can resume business again,” a spokesperson from Tibet China International Tour service said.

However, He Shengkang, the general manager of the China International Travel Services Integrated Management Department, stated that he hasn’t received any notice of the sort.

Another CITS employee explained that foreigners can still register for tours of Tibet, but in order to qualify, the group must contain more than 5 people of the same nationality.

The two who set themselves on fire in protests against Chinese rule are the 37^th and 38^th estimated cases of self-immolation since February 2009.