China Steps Up Control in Tibet

According to Radio Free Asia:

"The Chinese authorities believe that monasteries are the chief centers of Tibetan culture responsible for maintaining Tibetan identity. Therefore they are cracking down on the monasteries," a source in Tibet said in a recent interview.

Novice monks are no longer admitted to replace monks who have died, and monks rarely appear on the streets in many Tibetan cities, sources say, and this trend has become more visible and pronounced over recent months.

According to RFA, this seems to be in response to both this years' Olympic games and to the Dalai Lama receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal last year.