13 arrested, one self-immolation attempt on Jintao's visit

Mumbai, Nov 23 (UNI) Regional president of the Tibetan Youth Congress (Bangalore), Lhakpa Tsering, attempted self-immolation near the Taj Mahal Hotel, at Colaba in south Mumbai here today in protest against the occupation of Tibet by China.

The visiting Chinese President Mr Hu Jintao and his wife Mrs Liu Yongquing are staying at the Taj Mahal hotel.

Mr Tsering sprang a surprise on security personnel by attempting to torch himself. He was rushed to a government hospital for medical attention.

Meanwhile, thirteen Tibetan protestors including one Indian has been taken into police custody for illegal assembly and breaking the security cordon at the Taj Mahal Hotel, police said.

More than 300 Tibetan activists from Mumbai, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Mudgod district in Karnataka are sitting on a one-day token fast at south Mumbai's Azad maidan grounds to protest the atrocities committed by China in Tibet.

Speaking to UNI, the founder of 'Friends of Tibet' Mr Sethu Das, who has organised the day-long fast pointed out that the Tibetan community is a close knit community in India.

''It is unfortunate that the Indian government is also looking at the peaceful protest by Tibetan activists as a threat'', he lamented.

''Although the Indian Government has diluted it's position on Tibet, it should not overlook and keep silent on the continuing atrocities and repression taking place in Tibet,'' he added.

The spritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama has repeatedly made allegations of religious persecution in Tibet, which is now a part of Chinese territory.

The Chinese ministry has rebutted these allegations, and maintained that Tibet is an internal affair of China.

The Chinese ministry spokesperson, Ms Jiang Yu, had earlier told media persons that India has given an assurance to China that they will not allow Tibetans living in the country to engage in any kind of anti-China activities from Indian territory.

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