Nepal steps up security to stop Tibetan protests

March 10, 2013 - Police in Nepal broke up a small Tibetan protest in the capital and detained the protesters on Monday's anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. The two men and three women waved Tibet flags and chanted ``Free Tibet, get out of Tibet, we want justice'' near the Chinese embassy visa office in Katmandu before police in riot gear quickly stopped them, loaded them on a truck and drove them to a detention center. Hundreds of riot police had stepped up security on Monday to stop any possible anti-China protests in Katmandu and attempts by the Tibetan refugees to self-immolate to protest Chinese rule over their homeland, police spokesman Ganesh K.C. said. Tibetan refugees in Nepal regularly demonstrate against Chinese rule over their homeland, but Nepal does not allow protests near the Chinese Embassy and key areas, saying it cannot allow activities against friendly nations. Thousands of Tibetan refugees live in Nepal, and many travel through Nepal on the way to Dharmasala, India, where the Dalai Lama lives and the self-declared exile government is based. (Source: AP)