At least 300 Tibetans were rounded up on Monday as hundreds of Tibetan refugees staged demonstrations against China in the Nepalese capital at two different places, including one near the United Nations office.
Police baton-charged to disperse the 400 demonstrators who were protesting against the killing of Tibetans by Chinese troops in Lhasa since March 10.
Chanting “China, stop killings in Tibet. UN, we want justice”, the protesters were marching to UN headquarters when police stopped them about 100 metres from the office and snatched their banners.
When the Tibetans tried to break through the police line and push ahead, officers charged with batons and arrested several protesters, dragging them to trucks and vans to be taken to police stations.
Over one dozen human rights activists who gathered to extend solidarity with the Tibetan protesters were also arrested. About half a dozen agitators were injured during clashes with the police near the Singhdurbar Secretariat.
A short while later, nearly 200 Tibetans, including women and aged people, gathered at Maitighar-Mandala near the government secretariat and staged demonstrations demanding a probe into the crackdown by Chinese military in Lhasa on different occasions since March 10, while observing their Uprising Day.
Nepal has said it will not allow protests against any “friendly nation”, including China. CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda has extended support to the Chinese government’s suppression of the Tibetans, saying that it is China’s duty to control separatist violence. “We cannot term the Chinese government’s step to check violence by the separatists in Tibet as a crackdown. We regard Tibet as inseparable part of China,” Prachanda said.
The UN’s human rights office last week said it was concerned about the police use of excessive of force on peaceful protests and it was seeking clarification from the Nepal government about police instructions.