Challenging China's Rule

The Communist leadership has faced the biggest challenge to its rule in the Himalayan area in nearly two decades after protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa exploded into violence on March 14, sparking sympathy protests in the neighboring provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.

Protests also have spread to Nepal and India.

In Nepal on Monday, police arrested about 475 Tibetan refugees, monks and their supporters as they gathered in Katmandu, the capital, to protest a crackdown on Tibetans in China, the U.N. said.

Chanting “China, stop killings in Tibet. U.N., we want justice,” protesters were marching toward U.N. offices when police stopped them about 300 feet away, beat them with bamboo sticks and snatched their banners.