Coming out party? For thugs, maybe.

According to al-Reuters: "The Tibet unrest -- and China's response to it -- has become a lightning rod for criticism of its Communist authorities ahead of the Beijing Olympics, marring the country's desire to use the Games as a "coming out" party." "The western province of Qinghai was the latest area to report anti-government activities, with hundreds of civilians staging a sit-down protest after paramilitary police stopped them from marching, a Beijing-based source who spoke to residents said. "They were beating up monks, which will only infuriate ordinary people."

Rico says that'll do it every time...

"The Lhasa riot is a violent, secessionist incident planned and incited by the Dalai group," the official Xinhua news wire quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying. "Any country that has an objective and just point of view should understand and support China's measures to maintain social stability and safeguard people's lives and property."

Rico says these people have been speaking this way for so long that (in the immortal words of Jack Nicholson) they can't handle the truth...