Chinese police 'fired on Tibetans marking Dalai Lama birthday'

[EC]

Via the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23236996

Chinese police opened fire on a group of Tibetans who had gathered to mark the Dalai Lama's birthday, leaving several people injured, a rights group and news reports say.

The incident happened in Daofu in Sichuan province on 6 July.

Monks and other Tibetans had gathered at a sacred mountain to mark the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader's birthday with offerings and incense.

Police shot into the crowd and used tear gas, the reports said.

Beijing does not appear to have commented yet on the incident. Calls from the BBC to local authorities in Daofu did not connect. Local officials told AFP and Reuters news agencies that no incident took place.

Confirming details about incidents in the region is difficult - Chinese state media report some but not all. Foreign journalists are not allowed in and the flow of information is tightly controlled.

More at link.