SYDNEY—Members of the Australian Tibetan community have apologised for the behaviour of some protesters outside Sydney's Chinese consulate after an outbreak of deadly violence in the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
Up to seven pro-Tibet activists were arrested yesterday during a chaotic clash with police outside the consulate.
Four or five of the 40 activists also invaded the consulate grounds for several minutes.
President of the Tibetan Community of Australia (NSW), Tenzin Gaden said certain individuals, overcome with emotion, behaved in an improper manner at the Chinese consulate in Sydney.
"Although their emotional behaviour was unacceptable, in their defence I can advise that they were devastated by the news coming out of Tibet, and they allowed themselves to act before they had chance to rationalise what they were doing," he said in statement sent to police and news outlets.
"The Tibetan culture is renowned for being peaceful and tolerant. However, even those with the most peaceful nature have a breaking point, and unfortunately, this is what happened (yesterday).
"I can only apologise on behalf of the Tibetan community who have lived peacefully in Australia for many years and hope that you can excuse their behaviour on this one occasion."
NSW Police Minister David Campbell condemned the protest, saying there was no excuse for the violence.
"As always it is appropriate for people to have a peaceful protest in Sydney but where they seek to break the law or perhaps invade other people's property then police need to respond," he said.
Lhasa erupted into violence yesterday as Tibetans staged demonstrations in the biggest challenge to China's rule of the remote Himalayan region since 1989.
Chinese officials put the death toll from those protests at seven.
The pro-Tibet protesters put the death toll at more than 70.
Tibetan Rally in Melbourne High on Emotions
MELBOURNE—Pro-Tibetan demonstrators hurled eggs and water bottles at China's consulate in Melbourne today in protest against China's rule over the Himalayan kingdom.
More than 100 Tibetans and their supporters began demonstrating outside the consulate, in leafy Toorak in Melbourne's east, at 10am (AEDT), following a similar event outside Chinese consular offices in Sydney yesterday.
What began as a peaceful affair turned rowdy as a handful of demonstrators repeatedly surged towards the consulate's gates, before being pushed back by federal, Victorian and mounted police officers.
Australia Tibet Council campaigns coordinator Simon Bradshaw said that despite the Tibetans' proud history of non-violence and peaceful dissent, the protesters were releasing decades of pent-up frustration at China's occupation of their homeland.
"One of the frustrating things for the Tibetans at the moment is that the dialogue process between Tibet and China has stalled, so there's a lot of frustration around, here in Melbourne, in Sydney yesterday, in Tibet and around the world," Mr Bradshaw told AAP.
"Everyone's now aware of the way things have escalated in Lhasa. I think it's made it very clear that China's rule in Tibet isn't working and there's a need more than ever for them to engage in constructive dialogue with the Tibetan government in exile."
Kesang Wangmo, one of the demonstrators at the Melbourne protest, said China's oppression was hurting her homeland.
"The Chinese say they come to liberate us, to make our life better, but they didn't. It's time the world stands up," an emotional Ms Wangmo said.
"Tibet has lots to offer to the world. I appeal to the Australian public, I know they have good hearts, please be aware of what's happening in Tibet."
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