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Nepal police arrest Tibetan protesters

Tibetan refugees marching towards Tibet are taken by Nepalese police during their protest against the Chinese government at Andheri town, about 30 kilometres from the Nepal-China border, in Nepal, Friday, 26 June 2009. Officials say police in Nepal detained dozens of Tibetan refugees heading toward the Chinese border to protest.AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe/Nepal

Nepalese police on Friday arrested 34 Tibetan exiles who tried to stage a demonstration near the Chinese border, witnesses said.

The Tibetans were stopped by police as they were driving to the border, and were arrested as they were continuing on foot, the witnesses said.

The activists waved placards and chanted anti-China slogans and said they were protesting Chinese suppression of Tibetan people.

“We are going to keep them in police custody until we hear from our headquarters,” said police officer Abhaya Joshi.

Nepal is home to around 20,000 exiled Tibetans, who began arriving in large numbers in 1959 after their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled China into exile in India.

Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal has upheld Beijing’s “one China” policy that Tibet is an integral part of China, and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate anti-China demonstrations as it seeks to preserve friendly ties with its northern neighbour.

Authorities here maintained tight security this year to quell any possible unrest related to the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising in Tibet which led to the Dalai Lama’s departure.

Worldwide protests erupted last year after China cracked down on demonstrators in Tibet marking the 10 March anniversary of the 1959 uprising.

Copyright © 2009 AFP

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