Fresh Tibet protests reported as diplomats visit

DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) — Tibet's government-in-exile reported fresh mass protests in Lhasa on Saturday as foreign diplomats visited the tense city following recent deadly unrest over Chinese rule.

As EU foreign ministers called for an end to violence, the exiled Tibet body said "thousands" had joined demonstrations in Lhasa, although a spokesman stressed details were hard to confirm.

"Around 2:00 pm (0600 GMT) local time in the afternoon, Tibetans gathered for a protest in front of Ramoche Monastery," said a statement posted on the exile government's website.

"Also, nearby, in front of Tsuglag-khang (Jokhang) temple and Beijing East road, protests were started, and thousands joined in the protests within no time."

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who earlier urged the world community to help end the turmoil, said he was following developments.

"I heard people of Lhasa came out in protest again today," he said after returning to his base here.

The area around the Jokhang temple was cordoned off by Chinese police shortly after the demonstrations began, a man told AFP citing information from Lhasa. He did not want to be named to protect his sources.

Diplomats from 15 foreign embassies, including those of the United States, Britain, France and Japan, visited Jokhang temple on Saturday as part of a one-day tour organised by Beijing.

"Obviously this has been a highly managed visit," a Western diplomat said.

Monks denouncing Chinese rule converged on the temple, one of Tibetan Buddhism's holiest shrines, on Wednesday during a similar guided visit for foreign journalists.

Activists began rallying on March 10 to mark a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Demonstrations erupted into widespread rioting in Lhasa on March 14, and spread to neighbouring Chinese provinces populated by Tibetans.

Beijing says rioters killed 18 civilians and two police officers. Exiled Tibetan leaders have put the death toll from the Chinese crackdown at 135-140 Tibetans, with another 1,000 injured and many detained.

The unrest has prompted widespread concern with hundreds demonstrating in Madrid and 80 Tibetans arrested in Kathmandu in the latest expressions of support on Saturday.

Greek authorities clamped a tight security cordon around the Olympic torch, due to be handed to organisers of the Beijing Games, preventing more protests after activists disrupted this week's lighting ceremony.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia urged talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama, but failed to agree on any boycott of the Olympics or its opening ceremony on August 8.

"No one is in favour of a boycott of the Olympic Games (as a whole) ... and regarding the opening ceremony nobody wished to speak about it," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner after the talks.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" the region from what it said was feudal rule.

Tibetan rights groups have vowed to pile pressure on China over its controversial rule in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, when the world's spotlight will be put on the nation's communist rulers.

The Dalai Lama has accused China of "gross" human rights abuses in Tibet but has also condemned the unrest and repeatedly called for talks with Beijing.

The protests are the biggest since 1989, when current Chinese President Hu Jintao was the Communist Party chief of Tibet.

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