Hundreds Of Tibet Protestors Held In Nepal

Police in Nepal's capital broke up a protest Saturday by hundreds of Tibetan exiles against Chinese rule in their homeland, detaining many of them, officials said.

The protesters marched about three miles in the heart of Katmandu before police in riot gear blocked them. Police used bamboo batons to beat some and detained at least 450, police official R.P. Dhamala said at the scene.

Scuffles between police and protesters left many with minor injuries.

Many of the protesters were Buddhist nuns and monks.

"Stop killing in Tibet, we want freedom," the protesters chanted as they marched through the narrow streets of Katmandu.

Once they reached the main roads, police blocked them, and when they tried to break through the police lines they were detained and taken away in vans and trucks.

Officials say they cannot allow protests against friendly nations such as China.

Tibetans in Nepal began protests against China's crackdown in their homeland in March but temporarily halted them last month after the Tibetan government-in-exile based in India asked them to stop because of the major earthquake in China. They resumed protests this past week.

Detained protesters are generally freed later in the day.