Tibetan activists begin march despite warnings

Dehra: Protesters in India launched a new march to Tibet on Saturday, days after more than 100 Tibetan exiles were arrested during a similar rally.

The march came a day after protests by Buddhist monks in Tibet finally turned violent, with 10 people killed in the largest demonstrations in nearly two decades against Beijing's 57-year rule over Tibet.

The demonstrators in India, many of them Buddhist monks, started marching from near the area where the Tibetan exiles were recently arrested.

"We will keep on marching until we reach Tibet. And even if these marchers are arrested, there will be more," said organiser Chemi Youngdrung of the National Democratic Party of Tibet.

"We are thankful to the people in Tibet who are laying down their lives."

On Friday, more than 100 Tibetan exiles began two weeks of detention in northern India after police arrested them during a march to their homeland to protest China's hosting of the Olympic Games.

The demonstrators had vowed to march from India to Tibet, where they planned to arrive at the start of the Olympics in August. The march began on Monday, the day Tibetans commemorate a 1959 uprising against China.

Fearing the march would embarrass China, Indian officials banned the Tibetan exiles from leaving the Kangra district that surrounds Dharmsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India.

Warnings ignored

The marchers ignored the warnings and continued their trek. On Thursday, police confronted them on the road in Dehra, 20 kilometres from the district boundary, and arrested about 130 protesters.

Yesterday, the latest marchers crossed the district boundary without event, even as a few police marched with them.

A local police officer, Ram Nayak, said that he had received no orders to detain the marchers.

"It feels great. This is our first step," Youngdrung said after crossing the district boundary. "Many more steps have to be taken yet."

Nearly 1,000 exiles gathered yesterday in Dharmsala's town square burning Chinese flags and chanting "free Tibet" and "stop the killing in Tibet." All shops and restaurants run by exiles in the town were closed, as were several other establishments.

In New Delhi, police clashed with about 15 pro-Tibet protesters near the Chinese Embassy. The protesters were trying to reach the embassy, in a wealthy New Delhi neighbourhood, when they were stopped at a police barricade. Police could be seen arresting all of them. No serious injuries were reported.

Beijing maintains Tibet is historically a part of China. But many Tibetans argue the region was virtually independent for centuries.