You may have heard a thing or two about the recent unrest in regions of western Sichuan and Tibet and if you follow a variety of media outlets both Chinese and foreign, then it's likely you've heard some conflicting stories. The one thing that you've almost certainly heard is that, with more and more reports of self-immolation and violent clashes between Tibetans and central government forces, things are by no means calm in the areas of China with a large Tibetan presence. What is less clear is the implication this will have on foreign tourism in the region.

China Daily reports that groups of pro-secessionist Tibetans are storming banks, stores and attacking police officers and their vehicles across the prefecture of Ganzi in western Sichuan. As a result of this aggression, officers have found it necessary to fight back with deadly force. The editorial pages at the newspaper allege that, per usual, the Western media is distorting the truth to fit their anti-China and pro-independent-Tibet aims. The Global Times agrees. Read on for information about the 2012 Tibetan travel restrictions for foreigners...