Tibetan monks and police clash in Sichuan

Sichuan, February 27, 2009: The county of Lithan in Sichuan Province has been locked down after clashes between Tibetan monks, laypeople, nomads and Chinese security forces.

On 19th February last, the Chinese government authorities ordered to the security forces in Tibet to crush any signs of support for the Dalai Lama as the 50th anniversary of an anti-Chinese uprising neared.

One of the owners of a grocery shop in Lithan said she witnessed a small protest near the county's main vegetable market on Sunday that escalated into a much larger one about lunch time on Monday. On the second day, she said she saw several hundred Tibetans gathered downtown, shouting "long live the Dalai Lama" -- the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists who lives in exile in India. In just a few minutes, she said, squads of police arrived and a melee ensued.

In India, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said 21 people were detained. It said two men were badly beaten and suffered severe injuries.