The Chinese government is not allowing foreign tourists to enter Tibet for the month of March and possibly April, reports Agence France-Presse.
"The tourism bureau will not give permission to foreigners to come to Tibet in March," said an employee at the Xizang Tourist General Company in Lhasa, the region’s capital. "They can’t come to Tibet in March and as far as April is concerned we are still awaiting notification."
According to the government, the visa restrictions are due to the weather, concern for tourist safety, and the difficulty in finding accommodations during celebrations for the Tibetan new year this month.
Some, however, think the restrictions may have more to do with the risk of riots and protests in the troubled region. March 14 will mark the third anniversary of rioting that killed 13 Han Chinese and caused a military crackdown which led to the deaths of almost 200 Tibetans and thousands of arrests.