KATHMANDU (AFP) — About 120 Tibetan exiles were arrested Thursday in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu as they attempted to protest in front of a Chinese embassy building, police said.
"We've taken around 120 protesters into detention and they'll be released later this evening," said senior police officer Ramesh Thapa.
Tibetans have protested almost daily here since deadly unrest erupted against Chinese rule in the Himalayan region in March. Beijing responded to the unrest with a crackdown that earned international condemnation.
Sandwiched between China and India, Nepal -- home to around 20,000 Tibetan refugees -- has banned pro-Tibet protests and recognises Beijing's "one China" policy, under which Tibet and Taiwan are seen as integral parts of China.
The new Maoist government in Kathmandu has indicated it may take a tougher line against the protests in future although a senior official said no new policy had yet been drafted.
After travelling to Beijing on his first foreign trip, Prime Minister Prachanda -- the former Maoist rebel leader -- said the government would "strongly implement the policies with regard to anti-China protests."
"The government has not finalised anything but ... they might take stronger actions in future," home ministry secretary Modraj Dottel told AFP, without elaborating.
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