Nepalese authorities prevented exiled Tibetans from celebrating their spiritual leader Dalai Lama's birthday on Wednesday over concerns that gatherings will turn anti-Chinese.
Hundreds of riot police blocked the Tibetans from entering the Namgyal school in northern edge of Katmandu, where the celebrations were planned.
Only students wearing school uniforms were allowed inside the compound while the Tibetans including many monks and nuns were stopped.
Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, chief government administrator of Katmandu district, issued a warning that all public celebrations were banned and police will not allow anti-Chinese protests.
The Dalai Lama spent his 76th birthday in Dharmsala, India, his home since he fled Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Tibetan gatherings generally turn into protests against China, with participants shouting slogans demanding an end to Chinese rule in their homeland.
Nepal says it cannot allow protests on its soil against any friendly nations, including China.
Thousands of Tibetan exiles have been living in Nepal for the past few decades after fleeing Tibet and many more pass through Nepal on their way to India, where the Dalai Lama lives.
Police guarded the Chinese Embassy and its visa office in Katmandu against any sign of protests while the areas populated by the Tibetans came under heavy security.
Authorities have said they would allow celebrations inside monasteries provided there are no banners or chanting criticizing China.
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