Dharamshala: China's state-run People's Daily newspaper on 21 April criticized what they insisted was "misleading" coverage of the Kyigudo earthquake, despite there was no enough search-and-rescue effort in the Tibetan area of Kyigudo earthquake zone from the beginning.
"Western media agencies published far more photos of the rescue efforts from Tibetan monks in the Yushu earthquake than that of rescue efforts from fire and rescue personnel,
"A New York Times claimed in an article titled "After Quake, Ethnic Tibetans Distrust China's Help" that some Tibetans complained about PLA soldiers' poor rescue work," the article insisted.
Ethnic tension in Western areas of China still a source of great concern and embarrassment for the Chinese government, and with memories of the 2008 Tibetan and 2009 Uyghur protests still in mind, China has been keen to portray national response to the tragedy as a miracle of ethnic unity.
China's president Hu Jintao announced an "all-out" response to the earthquake, promising the speedy dispatch of thousands of rescue workers to the worst-hit areas.
Despite these promises, rescue efforts, have been led primarily by monks, and reports of Chinese authorities restricting monks from carrying out effective relief work have widely circulated.
China's media has downplayed the role of monks, and particularly of their spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in dealing with the tragedy.
At a recent press conference in China, Jangyi, Spokesperson for the Chinese Government's Department of Foreign Affairs, was careful to avoid addressing questions from foreign media about His Holiness the Dalai Lama's appeal to visit the quake-stricken Kyigudo area.
Chinese writer Tan Xiao Yi posted on Chinese state-run news website Tibet.cn that questions regarding His Holiness appeal "are not worth answering on the Chinese side," because, "The Dalai Lama is seeking to visit the victims [of the earthquake] to stir up political rebellion."
