Nepal Police has arrested nine Tibetans from Kathmandu on Monday as they marked the 55th anniversary of Tibetan uprising.
According to Nepal Police spokesperson Ganesh KC, five have been arrested from outside the Chinese Embassy and four have been taken into custody from Swyambhunath Stupa premises.
Nepalnews.com“They have been kept in custody at local police stations,” said spokesperson KC. “Further actions will be taken after investigation.”
Security has been stepped up in Kathmandu and Pokhara to prevent any anti-China protests or self immolation attempts to mark the 55th anniversary of Tibetan uprising. Security personnel have been on alert in areas near the Chinese embassy, the Tibetan refugee settlement in Jawalakhel, Bouddha and Swyambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu. Police have also been deployed in Pokhara.
Nepal is home to over 20,000 Tibetan refugees. Last year, during the anniversary of the 1959 rebellion against China's rule in Tibet, 18 people were arrested in Kathmandu on suspicion of anti-China activities. Nepal has witnessed three self immolations so far, two in last year alone.
On November 2011, a Tibetan monk wrapped a Tibetan flag around himself, poured kerosene on himself and set himself alight. In 2013, two Tibetan exiles immolated themselves on February and August respectively. All three took place in Bouddhanath premises.
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