Nepal agrees to China Everest ban (BBC) {BLOCKS protestors!}

[eppur_se_muova]

Nepal has agreed to a Chinese request to temporarily block access to Mount Everest, amid fears Tibetan activists may stage a protest at the peak.

Climbers will be banned from going beyond Everest's base camp until 10 May, Nepal's tourism minister said.

Beijing is thought to be concerned that a protest may coincide with plans to take the Olympic torch up the mountain.

Tibetans have stepped up agitation against Chinese rule as Beijing gets ready to host the Olympics in August.

Buddhist monks have been demonstrating in and around Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet region.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7296677.stm