Tibetans have right of peaceful protest in Nepal!

It is a shame for all of us that our governement is acting so harsh against Tibetan refugees protesting peacefully in Kathmandu. Tibetan people living in Nepal (or anywhere) have right to peaceful protests for their cause.
It is a shame to see us getting reduced to China's slaves!

I thank Prajwoljee for initiating this matter in his blog. I request all other Nepali bloggers too to post against Nepalese government's crackdown against Tibetans in Nepal.
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From kantipuronline;

Nepal as usual kowtows to China
By The Speaking Pen

India has always maintained a huge interest in Nepali politics. But the only interest that seems to beget China's attention to Nepal, are the Tibetans living here. China has chosen to maneuver any means possible into arm twisting the Nepalese authorities to make the life of Tibetan people living in Nepal as difficult as possible.
With the recent protests and killings in Tibet that continue unabated, Tibetans here cannot even perform a solidarity peace protest. With the protest that has been happening in Kathmandu since March 10, hundreds of Tibetan people have been beaten, baton charged, tear gassed, detained, threatened and et al. It is unfortunate that the current government in Nepal has so quickly forgotten that it came to power through the leverages of similar democratic protests. Tibetan refugee protesters in venting out their frustrations are dealt with disdain and with a level of harshness that has now become an international shame for Nepal.

In normal circumstances, it requires a high level approval (read home

ministry) before the security forces can disperse/detain the protesters. But in case of the Tibetan refugees, the security forces have pre-approved authority to detain and baton charge any Tibetan protesters. No warning is issued. Much to the delight of China, security personnel will crush any protests with gung-ho.

It is surprising with election in the offing that the Nepalese authorities have so much time and resources in hand to pursue the Tibetans with such a vengeance. Even the Tibetans and people with similar facial appearance plying either in taxis or microbuses were not spared. They were found taken out of the vehicle and detained by the police. Nuns were restricted from moving beyond the vicinity of their nunnery. Monks, nuns and women have borne the brunt of police brutality. Instances of sexual groping by the police have also been reported. Till now more than 1500 Tibetans have been arrested and detained.

The District Administration Office of Kathmandu went so far as to issue an arrest warrant against eleven (some say sixteen) Tibetan individuals who they believe are the ring leaders of the protest. This office also coerced several Tibetans into signing a sworn affidavit relinquishing their right to protest, otherwise risk arbitrary arrest or deportation. The UN office of human rights has issued several press statements and has written to the Prime Minister in coordination with Amnesty International denouncing such heavy handedness of the police which till now has fallen on deaf ears.

While Ian Martin is busy sashaying around Nepal to monitor any upcoming elections news, he or his office should not remain a mute spectator to the fact that Tibetans in Nepal are beaten, incarcerated and threatened by the security forces. I am sure the diplomatic community in Nepal is not pusillanimous but their silence surely is deafening.

Even more saddening is the fact that Tibetan protesters didn't find support even among ethnically and linguistically similar Nepali Buddhists, whose religious teachers are Tibetans. Yes, we all know that Nepal is a small country and comes under heavy diplomatic pressure but not to the extent that the roar of the dragon becomes their own.

(The Speaking Pen is the pseudonym of a Kathmandu-based commentator)

Posted on: 2008-04-03 10:40:13 (Server Time)