Nepal police clash with Tibetans, detain 162

Friday August 1 2008

KATHMANDU, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Nepali police detained 162 protesters and Tibetan refugees who tried to storm a Chinese consular office in Kathmandu on Friday, a week ahead of the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The protesters, including nuns and monks in maroon robes, arrived in groups and scuffled with riot police as they tried to proceed towards the high-security Chinese consular office before being hauled into police vans and trucks.

Many shouted: "We want free Tibet."

"We'll not keep them in custody for long and will free them later," said Bharat Lama, a police officer.

Friday's protest was the latest in a series by Tibetans in Nepal since deadly anti-government riots broke out in Tibetan capital Lhasa and other areas in China in mid-March, to mark the anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

More than 20,000 Tibetans live in Nepal which is the second-biggest home for Tibetans outside of Tibet after neighbouring India. Many of the refugees had fled their homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

Nepal sees Tibet as part of China, a key aid donor, and does not allow anti-China activities.

Human Rights Watch, the New York-based group, said last week that Nepal was acting at the behest of China against the refugees. Beijing denies the charges. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Valerie Lee)