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Pro-Tibet protests in Geneva

Several hundred demonstrators in Switzerland have staged renewed protests against human rights violations by the Chinese authorities in Tibet.

They called for assurances from Beijing to allow aid organisations into Tibet and treat those hurt in the violence, as well as report back on the situation.

Witnesses said about 300 people, mainly from the Tibetan community in western Switzerland, gathered at the United Nations compound in the city of Geneva on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey sent a letter to her Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, to express her concern about the situation in Tibet.

She called on Beijing to respect human rights, according to a foreign ministry spokesman.

Swiss parliamentarians on Thursday demanded that the government end its silence on Tibet, saying Beijing should be told in no uncertain terms to refrain from using violence and repression.

Unrest in the city of Lhasa began around the 49th anniversary of the Chinese rule in Tibet.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR