Tibet Authorities Order All Travelers to Leave in Week

Authorities in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa today ordered all travelers to leave Tibet within a week. The order followed the expulsion of 14 Western journalists covering pro-independence unrest in the remote Himalayan region.

The last of the journalists, including two Associated Press reporters, arrived today in Chengdu in nearby Sichuan province, the air gateway to Tibet. Most had arrived in Lhasa after the first two protests, on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, and some witnessed a third protest Tuesday.

Jill Kluge, sales representative at the Western-run Lhasa Hotel, said police told the hotel that all individual travelers should be out of Lhasa within a week. There was no indication, however, that authorities planned to halt the lucrative tour groups that brought 30,000 Western tourists to Lhasa last year.

There was no explanation for the order. Since the protests began, however, authorities have issued numerous warnings to foreigners not to get involved and many who photographed the demonstrations had their film confiscated.