(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-03 21:13

CHENGDU -- Police in southwest China's Sichuan Province have detained a villager for inciting separation of nationalities at a horse-racing festival, police sources said on Friday.

The villager named Runggye Adak went to a platform at about 10:00 am Wednesday before the opening ceremony in Litang county, and shouted out words of "Tibetan independence" and stopped vehicles to disrupt public order, according to the sources.

The villager was detained by police for being suspected of breaching the law.

More than 200 villagers, who were unaware of the facts, gathered outside a detention center on Wednesday evening and called for the release of Runggye Adak, the sources said.

All the villagers had left by Thursday after local government officials and police explained that Runggye Adak had breached the law.

There were no casualties during the whole process, according to the police sources.

The police sources said they would handle the case of Runggye Adak, whose words and deeds were meant to separate the country and harm national unity and has disrupted public order, according to law.