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DHARAMSALA, INDIA - INDIAN police have begun arresting Tibetan protesters trying to cross a restricted military zone that stretches to the Chinese border.
The 300-strong group plans to march into Tibet, one of several high-profile activities intended to draw attention to demands that China grant independence to the region.
'We will not allow anyone to pass the inner line,' Mr Puran Rawat, a police official from Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand state, said on Saturday, referring to the edge of the restricted zone.
Fifteen protesters were arrested late on Friday as they camped in the Himalayan countryside, about 200 km from the Chinese border, Rawat said. He said they were arrested before they reached the restricted zone to avoid confrontation.
'If a scuffle takes place, it is a great trouble to prevent them there, and can be dangerous leading to injuries and deaths,' he said.
The rest of the protesters will be picked up on Sunday and taken away from the border, he said. They will then be told to go home.
Although police say no direct orders have come from the central government in New Delhi, they say there have been general discussions on how the protesters should dealt with.
An American and a Norwegian with the group have been told to leave the country within seven days for breaching their visa.
The march began two months ago in the north Indian hill station of Dharamsala, the home of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. It was organised by several prominent activist groups, including the Tibetan Youth Congress.
The Dalai Lama on several occasions said he thought the march was dangerous and pointless.
Tenzin Tenchoe, one of the march leaders picked up by the police, said by telephone that around 100 police officials had arrived at the protesters' camp with seven buses on Friday.
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