Security tight for Tibet's 'Uprising Day'

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KATHMANDU, Tibet, March 10 (UPI) -- Police in Nepal said they filled the streets of Katmandu Sunday to prevent violence and self-immolations protesting Chinese rule in neighboring Tibet.

The demonstration in Katmandu was one of several that took place around Asia this weekend to call for China's departure from the mountain state and to mark "Uprising Day," the 54th anniversary of the failed 1959 revolt against the Beijing government.

Security in the capital was tight, Nepalnews.com said. Roads were closed around Chinese government missions and at least a dozen Tibetan activists were briefly detained for questioning.

Voice of America said police in Dharmsala, India, stepped in to stop a man from setting himself on fire in front of hundreds of Tibetans. Dharmsala is the base of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Self-immolation is not an uncommon gesture in the long-running friction between Tibetans and China. More than 100 Tibetans have set themselves alight since 2009, Voice of America said.