Tibet Today Home Page

Tibetan protesters beaten up in Nepal, 125 detained

May 5, 2008

KATHMANDU, May 5 (Reuters) - Nepali police beat up pro-Tibet protesters in Kathmandu on Monday and detained at least 125 people as demonstrators tried to storm the Chinese embassy demanding freedom for their Himalayan homeland.

The protesters were dragged into waiting police vehicles before driving away to detention centres.

" China thief leave the country," the protesters, some of them monks, shouted in Nepali. "Stop killing in Tibet ... free Tibet," they demanded.

Exiled Tibetans have been protesting regularly ever since deadly riots broke out in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in March, followed by demonstrations in other Tibetan areas of China.

Many Tibetans are furious over the crackdown against protesters in Tibet and resent China's decades-old rule of the Himalayan region.

The Lhasa riot broke out after days of protests centred on the anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

More than 20,000 Tibetans have been living in Nepal since fleeing after the failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

Nepal regards Tibet as part of China, which provides considerable financial assistance for its economic development.

A policeman kicks a protesting Tibetan near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)	Police detain a Tibetan demonstrator near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)
Police arrest a protesting Tibetan nun near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)	A protesting Tibetan bleeds after being beaten by police near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)
A Tibetan nun reads a book on the Dalai Lama during her 24 hours relay hunger strike in Kathmandu May 4, 2008. Sunday is the 24th day of a hunger strike organized by the Tibetans living in Nepal who are pleading for justice in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)	Police sweep away roses placed by the Tibetan protesters at the gate of Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting against the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)
Police drag a Tibetan monk trying to reach the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)	A Tibetan demonstrator cries next to a fellow demonstrator who fainted during a rally near the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)
Police arrest Tibetan nuns and others trying to reach Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting against the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)	Police grab a Tibetan protester trying to reach Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)
Tibetan protesters shout anti-China slogans in a police van in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)	A Tibetan protester shouts anti-China slogans from a police van in front of the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)
Police grab a Tibetan protester by the throat to prevent the protesters reaching the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)	A Tibetan demonstrator runs with a Tibetan flag during a demonstration near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)
Tibetan nuns weep inside a police van after being detained for protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 18, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting the crack down on Tibetans by the Chinese government. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (NEPAL)	A Tibetan nun looks from behind a Tibetan flag during her 24 hours relay hunger strike in Kathmandu May 4, 2008. Sunday is the 24th day of a hunger strike organized by the Tibetans living in Nepal who are pleading for justice in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

A policeman kicks a protesting Tibetan near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Police detain a Tibetan demonstrator near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)

Police arrest a protesting Tibetan nun near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

A protesting Tibetan bleeds after being beaten by police near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

A Tibetan nun reads a book on the Dalai Lama during her 24 hours relay hunger strike in Kathmandu May 4, 2008. Sunday is the 24th day of a hunger strike organized by the Tibetans living in Nepal who are pleading for justice in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Police sweep away roses placed by the Tibetan protesters at the gate of Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting against the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Police drag a Tibetan monk trying to reach the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)

A Tibetan demonstrator cries next to a fellow demonstrator who fainted during a rally near the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)

Police arrest Tibetan nuns and others trying to reach Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting against the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Police grab a Tibetan protester trying to reach Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Tibetan protesters shout anti-China slogans in a police van in Kathmandu April 30, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL)

A Tibetan protester shouts anti-China slogans from a police van in front of the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

Police grab a Tibetan protester by the throat to prevent the protesters reaching the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 29, 2008. Nepal has seen almost daily anti-China protests which police initially broke up with beatings. But, of late, they have been using little force in the face of criticism from rights groups such as the Amnesty International. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)

A Tibetan demonstrator runs with a Tibetan flag during a demonstration near the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu May 5, 2008. Tibetans in Nepal are protesting against Chinese crackdown in Tibet. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL)

Tibetan nuns weep inside a police van after being detained for protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy Visa Section in Kathmandu April 18, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal are protesting the crack down on Tibetans by the Chinese government. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (NEPAL)

A Tibetan nun looks from behind a Tibetan flag during her 24 hours relay hunger strike in Kathmandu May 4, 2008. Sunday is the 24th day of a hunger strike organized by the Tibetans living in Nepal who are pleading for justice in Tibet. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL)

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Bappa Majumdar)