China says arrests 16 for bombings in Tibet

Chinese authorities have arrested 16 people, most of them Tibetan Buddhist monks, suspected of three bombings, throwing into doubt talks between China and envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Xinhua news agency did not say if there were any casualties from the blasts in Mangkam county in Tibet's Changdu prefecture between April 5 and 15.
Nor did it give a reason for the delay in the announcement, which came after rioting broke out in Tibet's capital Lhasa on March 14 and spilled over into nearby Chinese provinces populated by Tibetans.
The arrests "forcefully undermined Tibetan independence elements' arrogance and effectively maintained social stability in the area", Xinhua said.
The report could not be independently corroborated. Foreign reporters are barred from travelling to Tibet without
permission.
The revelation cast a cloud over talks between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys -- the seventh round of dialogue since 2002 -- which had been due to open in Beijing on June 11.
The previous round was held in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on May 4 to discuss recent unrest in Tibet.
Xinhua said the suspects were rounded up last month and admitted carrying out the bombings in Changdu prefecture to "create a social impact and in coordination with the March 14 Lhasa incident".