London: The Chinese deadline for Tibetans to end their protests has passed and the message is clear: China will not tolerate any challenge to its suzerainty over Tibet.
Exiled Tibetan leaders allege security forces have started rounding up political dissidents.
Tibet's governor has promised leniency to those who surrender but continues to deny there was a crackdown.
“The West sees the beatings and looting going on and say they are staging a peaceful protest. But this has jeopardised the lives and property of the local people. Yet they say we are suppressing a peaceful protest,” said Governor Qingba Pingcuo.
China has, so far, kept a tight lid on the protests inside Tibet, but it is worried about growing international support for the protestors.
From inside his heavily barricaded embassy in Delhi the Chinese Ambassador delivered his country's response to India's distress over the violence in Tibet.
“We hope that the Indian friends can see clearly the nature of those instigating and a conspiring activities of the Dalai clique, which aim at splitting China and disrupting the Beijing Olympic Games," said Ambassador Zhang Yang.
The deadline, though, has not affected the protests outside china.
On Monday Tibetan organisations in Britain demonstrated outside the Chinese embassy.
“We feel it’s high time now. The people's movement has started and we are walking to Beijing to say that Tibet isn't a part of china. We want our country back from china,” said a protestor, Tsering Passang.
The protests have now gained momentum internationally, particularly in India, Australia, the US and in Britain. The Tibetans in the UK want the British government and the European government to do more. Some even want the countries to consider boycotting the Olympic games altogether.
With inputs from Surya Gangadharan
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