Election forces Tibetans to suspend anti-China protests in Nepal's capital

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Tibetan exiles have suspended their anti-China protests in Nepal's capital because of a crucial national election, saying Thursday they do not want to be cited as a security threat during the polls.

For the past few weeks, Tibetan exiles and monks have been holding almost daily protests against a Chinese crackdown in Tibet. Nepalese riot police have responded by beating and detaining the activists, then later releasing them without charge.

The government has scheduled an April 10 election to choose a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the constitution and decide Nepal's future. The Election Commission has said it expects the ballot counting to take several weeks.

Nepal says it cannot allow protests against friendly nations, including China, a key trading partner that helps with development in the Himalayan nation.

The United Nations, New York-based Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have urged Nepal to ease its harsh treatment of Tibetan exiles protesting China's actions in their homeland.

The groups say police used excessive force during the demonstrations, denied the activists the right to peacefully protest and threatened them with deportation.

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