Nepal police arrest Tibetan activists
KATHMANDU — Nepalese police have arrested more than a dozen Tibetan exiles who were celebrating the birth of Lord Buddha, a spokeswoman for a Tibetan organisation said Friday.
Around 70 Tibetan exiles had gathered around a monastery in a Buddhist area of the capital Kathmandu on Wednesday.
"A total 13 Tibetans were arrested when they came out the monastery after the ceremony," Tshering Nyima, a spokeswoman with Tibetan Youth Club, told AFP.
She said those arrested, all men, were still detained in a local police station and added that her organisation was campaigning for their release.
In March, Nepal prevented Tibetans from voting in elections for the new leadership of their government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala.
Thousands of Tibetan refugees fled over the border into Nepal after the March 10, 1959 uprising, which forced their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama into exile.
Rights groups have frequently criticised the treatment of Tibetans by Nepal and early this month the United States urged the host country to honour the "gentleman's agreement" to allow the refugees safe passage to India.
Nepal, which is home to around 20,000 exiled Tibetans, is under intense pressure from Beijing over the exiles, and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate what it calls "anti-China activities".
Nepalese police were not immediately available for comment.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.
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