Police broke up a protest by 200 Tibetans in the Nepalese capital on Saturday, beating them with bamboo batons and arresting at least 20 of them.
The Tibetans held banners reading "Free Tibet. Stop the killings in Tibet" as they demonstrated in front of the United Nations office in Katmandu.
Nepalese police charged the crowd with batons and arrested 20 people. It was not immediately clear on what grounds they were being held or if they would be charged.
A police official said the officers had orders to clear the streets in front of the U.N. office. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy
Protests by Buddhist monks in Tibet turned violent in recent days, with shops and vehicles torched and gunshots reported in the streets of the region's capital, Lhasa. At least 10 people were believed dead. Chinese Communist forces invaded Tibet in 1950, claiming the region as part of China's territory.
On Saturday protester Tshering Ladum _ a Tibetan living in neighboring Nepal _ said it had been a peaceful protest until the police moved in.
"We were only praying and demonstrating peacefully to seek support for our people in Tibet. We were attacked without any reason," the 49-year-old said. She showed reporters and U.N. officials bruises on her legs and arms, saying the injuries were caused by police batons.
The protesters scuffled with police as the officers snatched their banners and flags.
"All we want is the Chinese to stop killing Tibetans and we are here to urge the international body to help us," said another protester, 31-year-old Yeshi Lama.
The arrested protesters were loaded into police vans and driven to detention centers. It was not clear when they would be released.
On Friday about 1,000 protesters including dozens of Buddhist monks scuffled with police during a rally in Katmandu in support of demonstrators in Tibet. Around a dozen monks were injured.
The Friday protest, which began as a candlelit rally at a prominent Buddhist shrine, quickly became an angry march as protesters tried to make their way to the Chinese Embassy. Police scuffled with the protesters to stop them from marching.
Nepal's border with China in the Himalayas is a key route for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule in the region. Most of the refugees eventually move to India, where Tibet's government-in-exile and the Tibetans' spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are based.
