Indian police stop exiles from historic Tibet march
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
DHARAMSHALA, India, Mar 11 (AFP): Police late Monday banned about 100 Tibetan exiles in India from going ahead with a historic trek to their homeland as part of pro-independence protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
The ban came hours after the marchers began their trek, and on the same day as their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attacked China's human rights record, accusing it of "unimaginable and gross violations" in his Himalayan homeland.
District police chief Atul Phuljile said the ban followed an advisory that he received from New Delhi to stop the march.
"We have issued a restrain order to the marchers not to leave the Kangra district and if they violate the order then all necessary actions will be taken," he told the news agency.
Dharamshala, in the northern Indian district of Kangra, is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. Monday marked the 49th anniversary of the spiritual leader's escape from Lhasa after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The marchers, including 10 girls and some Tibetan leaders, were at a Buddhist monastery, 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Dharamshala when the police order was issued.
Tibetan exiles in Dharamshala appeared stunned and their leaders were meeting about the surprise development.
The New Delhi advisory said the action was "in clear violation of the understanding between the government of India and his holiness the Dalai Lama that there will be no anti-China political activities on Indian soil."
Five Tibetan groups who organised the march had remained tight-lipped about the trek route because of India's opposition to their anti-China campaign.
Indian police had suspected the marchers could break into tiny squads upon reaching the border, either with Nepal or China, and would try to sneak across the militarised mountainous frontiers undetected.
The ban came hours after the marchers began their trek, and on the same day as their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attacked China's human rights record, accusing it of "unimaginable and gross violations" in his Himalayan homeland.
District police chief Atul Phuljile said the ban followed an advisory that he received from New Delhi to stop the march.
"We have issued a restrain order to the marchers not to leave the Kangra district and if they violate the order then all necessary actions will be taken," he told the news agency.
Dharamshala, in the northern Indian district of Kangra, is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. Monday marked the 49th anniversary of the spiritual leader's escape from Lhasa after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The marchers, including 10 girls and some Tibetan leaders, were at a Buddhist monastery, 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Dharamshala when the police order was issued.
Tibetan exiles in Dharamshala appeared stunned and their leaders were meeting about the surprise development.
The New Delhi advisory said the action was "in clear violation of the understanding between the government of India and his holiness the Dalai Lama that there will be no anti-China political activities on Indian soil."
Five Tibetan groups who organised the march had remained tight-lipped about the trek route because of India's opposition to their anti-China campaign.
Indian police had suspected the marchers could break into tiny squads upon reaching the border, either with Nepal or China, and would try to sneak across the militarised mountainous frontiers undetected.