The "Songs for Tibet - The Art of Peace" compilation album, which has been a smash hit on iTunes in China, seems to have caused a bit of a stir as the popular music download site has been unavailable to music fans behind the Great Firewall for over a week.

The album was released August 5 and is the number one download in the US, France, Canada, and is rapidly climbing the charts throughout the world. The album directed by Rupert Hine puts together various high profile artists including: Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews, Moby, Sting and Underworld in support of Tibet's struggle for independenc

The album also includes a 15-minute talk by the exiled Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso and coincides with a video "Freedom is Expression" directed by Mark Pellington which can be seen on YouTube and on The Art Of Peace Foundation's website. The CD version of the album was released on Tuesday, August 19.

Apparently there's no confirmation from the Chinese authorities, but the site, according to western journalists in Beijing for the games, remains unavailable. Apparently the album's review page on the site caused a significant amount of heated dialogue between pro-Tibet supporters and Chinese Nationalists.

Michael Wohl, the Art of Peace Foundation's executive and album producer, believes Apple's site was blocked by authorities, but he was unable to prove his claim, just as it will be difficult for the IOC to disprove reports of the age of three Chinese gymnasts: He Kexin, Yang Yilin, and Jiang Yuyuan, who might be as young as 14.