A number of protests by Tibetans and Tibetan sympathizers have led to conflicts with authorities in Tibet and India.
A hundred Tibetan exiles on a six-month protest march to their homeland defied the Indian government’s orders to halt Tuesday, and could be headed for a conflict with the local police. The protestors have been marching from Dharamsala, the headquarters of the exiled Dalai Lama, to protest the continuing Chinese occupation of their homeland. They had planned to arrive at the Tibetan border in August, just before the Beijing Olympics begin.
The Indian authorities have forbidden the marchers from leaving Kangra District, in which Dharamsala lies, but the marchers have vowed to continue towards Tibet. The Indian government hosts 100,000 Tibetan exiles.
China announced Tuesday that it had quashed a protest by Buddhist monks in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Dozens have been reported to have been arrested for marking the anniversary of an uprising against Chinese rule.
“Yesterday afternoon some monks in Lhasa, abetted by a small handful of people, did some illegal things that challenged social stability,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
In a second day of protests, Chinese security forces fired tear gas at 600 monks taking part in a demonstration.
In Delhi, police detained a group of over 30 women who gathered outside the Chinese embassy, chanting slogans such as “Free Tibet” and “No Olympics in China.”
The protests against the Chinese Olympics are independent of the Dalai Lama, who has said that China has a right to host the games.
