Fresh protests by Tibetans in Nepal, 179 held

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Shaven headed nuns and monks in maroon robes were among 179 "free Tibet" protesters detained in the Nepali capital on Friday as they tried to storm a visa office of the Chinese embassy, police said.

The refugees were hauled into police vans and trucks after a brief scuffle with the riot police.

More than 20,000 Tibetans live in Nepal, after fleeing a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

Nepal considers Tibet part of China and has briefly detained thousands of the exiled Tibetans protesting against Beijing since the deadly crackdown on protests in the region mid-March.

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)

(For the latest Reuters news on Nepal see: in.reuters.com, for blogs see blogs.reuters.com/in/ )