(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-22 09:37

KATHMANDU -- Nepali police on Saturday afternoon detained about 500 Tibetan separatists involved in anti-China activities in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu.

The separatists thronged the visa office of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, chanting slogans of "Tibet independence" and "No 2008 Olympic torch in Tibet."

Local police soon moved in to break up the rally and detained around 500 of the demonstrators, who were blocking both the city traffic and the normal operation of the Chinese diplomatic mission.

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On Thursday, police arrested three leading members of Tibetan separatist groups in Nepal. The arrested have been imprisoned on charges of inciting anti-China activities and threatening security in Nepal.

Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range Office Sarbendra Khanal said the three Tibetan separatists were arrested under Public Security Act and could be held in custody for 90 days.

The Nepalese government has repeatedly said that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and that it will not allow anti-China activities on its territory.

Tibetan separatists have staged anti-China protests since mid-March in Kathmandu. The activities often went ugly, leading to disruptions of city traffic and clashes with police.

Chinese Ambassador Zheng Xianglin said last month that there were criminal acts of beating and smashing in Kathmandu against other Tibetans who either refused to take part in anti-China activities or held different positions from the separatists.