7 Tibetan protesters detained in Nepal

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Associated Press
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Police arrest Tibetans shouting anti-China slogans as they try to storm the Chinese Embassy Consulate in Kathmandu March 10, 2010 . Tibetans in Kathmandu protested during the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. Tibet 's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will appeal to the elite in the Chinese-run Himalayan region in a speech on Wednesday, inviting them to visit communities of exiled Tibetans. (Photo: Reuters)

Police blocked a small protest Sunday by Tibetan exiles outside the Chinese Embassy visa office in Nepal , detaining seven people.

About 200 police in riot gear were deployed around the office in Katmandu and nearby streets ahead of the protest. The Tibetans chanted, " China thief leave our country. Stop killing in Tibet."

They were arrested after trying to push through police lines.

Nepal's government, which wants strong ties with its powerful northern neighbor, has banned protests against China, saying any activities against a friendly nation will not be tolerated.

It was not clear if the seven detained Sunday would face charges. Sixteen Tibetan exiles were jailed for 90 days without trial under a public security act after protesting in the same spot on March 10.

Thousands of Tibetan exiles live in Nepal, and hundreds more are allowed to pass through the country on their way to Dharmasala, India, where the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama lives in exile.

China claims Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries until Chinese troops invaded in the 1950s.