Chinese authorities in Tibet have launched a 42-day “strike hard” campaign in the Himalayan region. According to a translation of the Chinese-language state-run Lhasa Evening News, which was posted on the website of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), the police have rounded up 5,766 suspects for questioning focused on last year’s March 14 demonstrations which turned into rioting in Lhasa. In addition, the Lhasa municipal government is now requiring all outside visitors wishing to stay for more than three days and less than a month in Lhasa to apply for a temporary residence permit from the police.

“Strike Hard” campaigns were first launched in China in 1983 with the official objective of fighting crime and corruption. Human rights groups, however, say that the motive behind their use in Tibet is entirely different, with the authorities using the campaigns to detain and harass supporters of Tibetan independence.