China Arrests Tibetans After Dalai Lama Protest

Chinese authorities have detained up to 24 Tibetans who shouted support for the Dalai Lama in a restive area of Sichuan province, an overseas campaign has said.

Officials have closed some Tibetan areas to foreign visitors a few weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of fatal riots in Lhasa and the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Free Tibet campaign said protests began on Sunday when a man called Lobsang Lhundup began shouting slogans supporting the Dalai Lama and calling for a boycott of next week's Tibetan new year celebrations. About 100 protesters joined him before police took him away.

The group alleged that officers beat and detained several demonstrators the next day after hundreds gathered to call for Lhundup's release.

A police officer at the Ganze prefectural office denied any knowledge of the incident and an officer in Lithang told Reuters he "did not have any such information" before hanging up.

Some Tibetans have urged a boycott of new year celebrations to commemorate last March's protests and the subsequent crackdown.

On Monday, a meeting of senior police in Ganze prefecture called for the maintenance of stability, opposition to separatism, and resolution of problems that lead to unrest. The meeting report did not mention Lithang specifically.

Ganze is one of several areas that appear to be off-limits to foreigners again, having been closed for several months last spring.

Asked if the area was still open to foreigners, an official at the county tourism bureau refused to answer directly, but told the Guardian: "It's better not to come ? you know, you will have problems if you take pictures. Better not to come, otherwise you will inconvenience yourself as well as us."

A hotel receptionist in Lithang told Reuters it was "unclear" whether foreigners were permitted to travel there.

Several areas of Ganze saw major unrest last year as protests rippled across Tibetan parts of western China following the Lhasa riots. Lithang is reported to have seen mass arrests the previous year after a nomad stood up in front of thousands at the annual horse festival and demanded the return of the Dalai Lama. He was jailed for subversion and inciting separatism.

Ethnically Tibetan areas of southern Gansu province have been closed to non-Chinese travelers for several weeks.

"I think foreigners can't come at the moment. I believe it started in January and will probably end at the end of March," said an employee at the tourism office of Gannan.

An official at the propaganda office said the authorities had issued instructions. Asked why, he replied: "You know, what happened last year ? it's for prevention. There's nothing happening here at the moment."

In Qinghai province, which also saw protests last year, one tourism official said he did not know of closures. But another employee said: "There are some special scenic places which you cannot go to."