Tibet protesters clash with Nepal police, 130 detained

Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:08am EDT

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU, April 18 (Reuters) - Maroon-robed monks and nuns with shaved heads scuffled with police at a pro-Tibet demonstration in Kathmandu on Friday, in the latest of a series of protests against China.

Authorities said they detained 96 men and 34 women.

"Resolve the crisis in Tibet through dialogue, not guns," a yellow-banner carried by demonstrators read. " China plays games with human rights," read another banner carried by some protesters wearing yellow sleeve-less jackets.

Others displayed a big portrait of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.

"Stop killings in Tibet, we want peace," shouted a protester who gave his name as Karma. Four police later hauled him into a waiting van.

Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests, except for a short break during last week's national elections.

Beijing, a key donor to impoverished Nepal's economic development, has urged Kathmandu to prevent Tibetan protests.

The protesters were dragged by police into blue iron-meshed vans and trucks to be driven to detention centres. Some were kicked by police.

More than 20,000 Tibetans have lived in settlements across mountainous Nepal since fleeing their homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

In neighbouring India, Tibetan exiles have regularly protested against Chinese rule in Tibet.

This week, India deployed 15,000 police to keep Tibetan protesters away as the Olympic torch was paraded through an empty thoroughfare in capital New Delhi.

On Friday, a day after the torch relay, Tibetans vowed to continue their anti-China demonstration in India.

The Tibetan government in exile also called on the international community to stop China from "indulging in brutal acts and systematic cultural genocide in Tibet," from their headquarters in the north Indian hill station of Dharamsala.

"I cannot suggest any specific action ... the international community should decide and use their influence on China, either economically or if required by putting pressure," Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile told reporters in Dharamsala on Friday.

Himalayan Nepal, which follows the one-China policy and regards Tibet as part of China, has restricted access to Mount Everest between May 1 and 10 to allow a smooth run of the Olympics torch to the summit.

Beijing, the host of this year's Oympic Games, plans to take the torch to the top of Mount Everest next month.

(Additional reporting by Abhishek Madhukar in Dharamsala; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Valerie Lee)