Heavy security as Tibetans prepare for new year

KANGDING, China (Reuters) - Tibetans are preparing to mark their new year this week amid a heavy police presence and with Internet services cut in at least one area a year after unrest which ended in deadly riots in Lhasa and elsewhere.

Some Tibetan parts of Sichuan and neighboring Gansu province erupted into violence after protests in Lhasa, regional capital of Tibet in far-western China, in which the government says 19 people died, though exiled groups say the number was much higher.

This year's anniversary is extra sensitive as 2009 also marks the 50th anniversary of flight into exile of Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.

In Kangding, a town in southwestern Sichuan province historically part of Tibet and heavily populated by Tibetans, soldiers have massed at a base camp on the town's outskirts while police cars cruise the streets ahead of the February 25 holiday.

"This is for the social stability of the area. I don't think there would be any trouble here," said resident Tsira Dhapa.

But further west from Kangding, some trouble has already been reported.

Chinese forces in Lithang detained up to 24 Tibetans for taking to the streets shouting support for the Dalai Lama, an overseas rights group said earlier this month.

BOYCOTT CALLS

The protests were sparked by the arrest of a Tibetan who called for a boycott of New Year celebrations, they said.

The idea of a boycott has met with a mixed reception, with some Tibetan families quietly refraining from celebrations and others marking the February 25 holiday as usual.

"I don't know much about the situation. But today the living standards are much better than before, so I don't think people would do such things," said 22-year-old Tibetan resident Tseren Quchuo, refering to the potential for more unrest. "I think everyone should have hopes for a better future."

Still, authorities are preparing for the worst.

In Yajiang, a Tibetan town on the way to Lithang, police in helmets carrying batons keep watch and man roadblocks.

In a further sign of government wariness, Internet services throughout the area have been cut and people are unable to send or receive mobile telephone text messages, residents say.

In Kangding, known as Dardo in Tibetan, the ripple effect from last year's troubles has also hammered tourism, which normally provides much needed income in this poor and remote part of the country.

"It has affected us greatly. A lot of tourists heard that there were riots in these areas so they were not willing to come here for there travels," said 25-year-old shopkeeper Liu Jie. "So our local economy has deteriorated."

(Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)