BEIJING — Defiant Buddhist monks banned from marking a key Tibetan new- year prayer festival marched in protest in China’s southwest, rights groups said. Tensions are high over harsh security measures set up before the new year, which began Feb. 25. The Monlam prayer festival started on Saturday and ends on March 11.
The usually merry atmosphere has been largely subdued since the Dalai Lama said celebrations would be “inappropriate” following a deadly Chinese a crackdown on Tibetan protesters last March.
The latest protest began Sunday morning when Chinese officials stopped the monks at the Sey monastery in Sichuan province as they gathered to pray, the International Campaign for Tibet said. The monks left the prayer hall and started walking toward the main town, shouting to be allowed to pray, the ICT said. A few minutes later, armed security officials arrived and the monks returned to their lamasery, the group said.
