China sentences 2 nuns over Tibet protests

BEIJING-A court in western China has sentenced two Tibetan nuns to lengthy prison terms for taking part in anti-government demonstrations last year, amid reports of more clashes between Tibetans and security forces, advocacy groups reported Friday.The news came ahead of the March 14 anniversary of protests staged across a huge swath of Tibetan-populated areas in western China following deadly rioting in Tibet's capital Lhasa last year.The sometimes violent demonstrations-which prompted a swift and sustained crackdown by security forces-was the largest Tibetan protest against Chinese rule since the failed March 10, 1959 uprising against communist authorities who fought their way into the Himalayan region in 1950.The upcoming anniversaries have prompted authorities-who are wary of unrest during this sensitive period-to declare Tibetan areas off-limits to foreigners and to reportedly crack down violently on demonstrators.The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy said the two nuns were among a group of 55 detained after a peaceful protest on May 14 outside government offices in Garze, a prefecture in Sichuan province.The center identified them as Soe Lhatso, 35, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and 36-year-old Bhumo, who was sentenced to nine years. Both were nuns at the local Pangri Na Buddhist convent, it said.The center did not say what they had been charged with or give an exact date for when the sentences were handed down.Separately, the center said two 18-year-olds, Ngawang Tashi and Dorjee Tashi, were sentenced By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN,AP Writer

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