Tibetans protest with Dalai Lama picture in southwestern China

Beijing, Jan 17 (ANI): A number of Tibetans, including monks defiantly held up a portrait of he Dalai Lama in a community in southwestern China, days after other Tibetans set themselves n fire in protest against Chinese rule.

On Monday, less than 100 Tibetans gathered and held a portrait of the Dalai Lama, The Herald un quoted an official at Seda county public security bureau in Sichuan province, as saying.

"The New Year festival is coming up so they want to draw attention by creating an incident," ang said, referring to the Chinese New Year later this month.

Wang said police dealt with the incident, but declined to give any further details.

Police in Seda county said that officers dealt with the gathering, but declined to say whether any f the Tibetans were arrested in the incident on Monday.

China is sensitive to protests by Tibetans because they threaten its control over its western egion and may inspire protests in other parts of China by people with possible grievances gainst the government.

At least 16 Buddhist monks, nuns and other Tibetans are believed to have set themselves on fire n the past year, four this month, mostly in traditionally Tibetan areas of Sichuan province. Most ave chanted for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who led to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

China has vilified the Dalai Lama for over a decade, accusing him of a campaign to split the imalayan region from the rest of China, and has tried to get monks to denounce him in political ducation programs held in religious institutions in Tibetan areas. The Dalai Lama says he is only eeking increased autonomy for Tibet. (ANI)