KATMANDU — Hundreds of riot police stepped up security on Monday near the Chinese embassy, visa office and areas in Nepalese capital where Tibetan refugees live to stop any protests to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. Police spokesman Ganesh K.C. said the security was stepped up to stop any possible anti-China protests in Katmandu and attempts by the Tibetan refugees to self-immolate to protest Chinese rule over their homeland. Police officers in riot gear guarded all the roads leading to the Chinese embassy and its visa office in the center of Katmandu. Most of the recent protests have centered near the visa office. Police are also keeping a close watch on the Boudhanath area in Katmandu where most Tibetan refugees live. The area has many Buddhist monasteries and shrines and two people self-immolated in the area last year to protest against China. Tibetan refugees in Nepal regularly demonstrate against Chinese rule over their homeland, but Nepal does not allow protests near the Chinese embassy and key areas, saying it cannot allow activities against friendly nations. In the past, Tibetans in Nepal have attempted to storm the Chinese embassy, while the Chinese government has repeatedly pressured Nepal to stop the protests. Protesters are generally removed from the areas and detained for few hours. Thousands of Tibetans refugees live in Nepal, and many travel through Nepal on the way to Dharmasala, India, where the Dalai Lama lives and the self-declared exile government is based. — AP
