China imposes heavy controls to halt protests in Inner Mongolia

Beijing, May 30 (ANI): Chinese police have imposed heavy controls across volatile towns in Inner Mongolia after a week of ethnic protests by students over the hit-and-run killing of a Mongolian herder by a Chinese truck driver.

Police across the region have asked students to obtain permission and to register with authorities before leaving university campuses in an effort to keep protesters off the streets.

Authorities have also blocked searches for terms such as "Inner Mongolia" on Internet sites such as Sina Weibo, China's most active microblogging service, to try to prevent the upheavals from spreading, Wall Street Journal reports.

Residents in various parts of the region, shaken by last week's protests said demonstrations had subsided on Sunday afternoon, but online postings called for protests to begin Monday in Hohhot.

Nearly 18 protesters were injured and 40 detained by police last week during protests by ethnic Mongolian students.

The protests began on May 23 after a person whom authorities describe as an ethnic Chinese truck driver killed a Mongolian herder.

Details of the incident, including where it occurred, are unclear. Authorities said they have arrested the driver of a truck and a passenger. (ANI)