The foreign ministry has condemned "acts of violence" against demonstrators in Tibet following clashes said to have left several people dead.

In a statement issued on Saturday, it called on the Chinese authorities to stop the violence and to respect human rights.

Unrest between protesters and Chinese security forces in Tibet's main city, Lhasa, is reported to have killed ten people.

The violence - the worst in Tibet since 1989 - erupted on the fifth day of largely peaceful protests that began on Monday's anniversary of a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.

The Swiss foreign ministry called on the Chinese authorities to refrain from "disproportionate use of force" and to respect the rights of freedom of opinion and physical inviolability.

Those imprisoned after the clashes should be treated in strict accord with international human rights norms and those who had demonstrated peacefully should be released, the statement added.

Improvement of the human rights situation in Tibet and long-term, peaceful solution to the Tibetan question would be made possible through dialogue with the Tibetan community, said the foreign ministry.

Also on Saturday, around 2,000 people demonstrated about Tibet in front of the Chinese consulate in Zurich.

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