China, in its continued beating down of the Tibetan peoples is now trying to limit the internet to those members of that peaceful country so blatantly conquered by mainland China over four decades ago.

Authorities in the Chinese capital of Beijing are restricting both Tibet’s and China’s access to the internet, most notably their ability to view YouTube. It would appear that the Chinese government doesn’t want those pesky, freedom-loving residents of the Himalayan country to know just how unfree they are, as if they didn’t already know what it is to have the boot-heel of oppression squarely on their necks. Beijing obviously also doesn’t want that information plastered on computer screens across mainland China either, which has a reported 210 million (and growing) net usage. It’s amazing how much dictatorial, oppressive governments fear the free flow of information.

YouTube, famous for showing protests that spring up all over the globe, has recently been airing video of the current protests in Tibet over China’s strong hand on its press and information outlets.

Chinese television has been airing the protests for its millions of residents, but of course, only from the point of view of the official Chinese party line. In truth, many people have been killed needlessly by Chinese authorities in Tibet simply because they are trying to exercise their right to have their voices be heard after decades of oppression and hardship at the hands of the invading Chinese military.

YouTube’s coverage of the protests and the excessive force used in dealing with it has been very critical of China’s handling of the affair and positive of the Tibetan independence movement, thus the band on YouTube by the government.

The Dalai Lama often uses the net to get his messages out to his people still living in Tibet. Many of those video messages go out via YouTube. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee his homeland of Tibet in 1960 when China invaded his country, overthrew his government and has been embedded in the mountain country ever since.

What can we expect from China next? A three month ban on motion pictures coming out of the United States. Movies like “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” or perhaps “Iron Man?” Oh wait, they’ve already done that!