Angela Dempster-Passang, a Students for a Free Tibet coordinator, said the limited communications infrastructure made contacting extended family in rural eastern regions difficult, a problem compounded if Chinese authorities restricted Internet and telecommunications access.
She had talked to acquaintances in the capital Lhasa at 5pm yesterday who claimed people had been shot by Chinese police for leaving their homes.
She was not surprised by the extent of the current unrest.
‘‘There has been cultural and religious repression for a long time.''
University of Otago humanities student Yeshe Dawa (21) had visited members of her Tibetan father's family living in India.
‘‘My family and I see it as something [that] has been boiling away - we have been waiting for it to boil over. It's far from ideal, but it might be the only means of gaining attention. I hope it leads to more dialogue between the Tibetans and Chinese authorities,'' Ms Dawa said.
- The Students for a Free Tibet, University of Otago chapter, will hold a demonstration on the University Union lawn at 12.30pm today.
Ms Dawa said 100 people would lie on the lawn, representing the 100 people the group believes have died in recent demonstrations.