In an attempt to satisfy the People´s Republic of China, Nepal has announced its intentions to deport the 6.000 Tibetan refugees who have entered Nepal illegally or have never been granted a refugee certificate. The figure equals 30% of the 20.000 Tibetan refugees living in four camps in Pokhara, Nepal, right. (17-Sep-08)
Based on a press release from the Norwegian Tibet Committee and Democracy Alert; this article has been edited and prepared for publication here by HRHF.
On September 9-11, 137 Tibetan protesters were taken into custody by the Nepalese authorities and handed over to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kathmandu with the understanding that those who do not hold valid papers will be sent to India. These Tibetans are political refugees and the recent deportations are not just a response to ordinary illegal immigration laws, but a response to Chinese pressure. For months, thousands of Tibetans have participated in protests in Kathmandu against China´s crackdown in Tibet that followed the wave of demonstrations across the Tibetan plateau this spring and summer. Claiming the demonstrations are an irritant to China-Nepal relations, Beijing has urged the Nepal government to put a stop to the demonstrations.
On September 16, in response to the news of investigations and deportations of Tibetans who do not have valid residency documents, the International Tibet Support Network (ITSN) wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamla Dahal “Prachanda.” In the letter, ITSN, on behalf of over 150 nongovernmental organizations, urges the Prime Minister to speak at the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the fundamental principles of international peace and cooperation, equal rights, and the self- determination of all peoples. ITSN also calls on the Prime Minister to institute new policies that respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly for all and to contribute to the long-term resolution of China’s rule in Tibet.
To read more about the deportations, go to:
http://www.tibet.no/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1221477342&archive=&start_from=&ucat=9&
Den norske Tibet Komité
Menneskerettighethuset
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0160 Oslo
Tel: 22479222 Fax: 22479201
Email: info@tibet.no www.tibet.no
