China detains 70 in crackdown on Tibet protests
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Buddhist monks, nuns and activists attend a protest rally in New Delhi on Feb 2, 2013. The Tibetan government in exile launched a Solidarity with Tibet Campaign 2013, as Tibetans continue to self-immolate calling for freedom in Tibet. -- PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING (AP) - China's government says it has detained 70 people in ethnic Tibetan areas in a crackdown on self-immolations aimed at protesting Communist rule.
The detentions came as Beijing stepped up efforts to blame the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, for protests in which nearly 100 Tibetan monks, nuns and lay people have set themselves on fire since 2009.
The harsh measures are a sign new Chinese leaders installed in November are not easing up on Tibet despite the protests and international condemnation.
The protesters are calling for Beijing to allow greater religious freedom and the return from exile of the Dalai Lama, who lives in India.
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