Nepalese police detained more than 60 Tibetan refugees early Tuesday as they demonstrated in support of Buddhist monks who have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule in their homeland.
Police say the demonstrators were arrested after shouting anti-China slogans during a prayer service outside a monastery on the outskirts of the capital, Kathmandu. Nepalese authorities are increasingly cracking down on gatherings of exiled Tibetans.
On Monday, China's military chief, General Chen Bingde, said Beijing approves of Nepal's "firm stance on issues related to Tibet."
Chen made his comments in Beijing during a visit by his Nepalese counterpart, General Chhatraman Singh Gurung, who reaffirmed his promise to never allow "anti-Chinese activities" to take place on Nepalese soil.
More than 20,000 Tibetan exiles are living in Nepal, after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Nepal has prohibited demonstrations by Tibetan exiles and cracked down on such gatherings in recent years as part of its “one-China” policy.
At least 10 Buddhist monks have set themselves on fire in southwest China in recent months to protest harsh Chinese rule of Tibet.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
