Nepal bars Tibetans from commemorating Tibetan National Uprising Day yet again
DHARAMSALA, 10 March: Nepal has yet again denied permission for Tibetans to commemorate the Tibetan National Uprising Day.
“As is the custom that the Nepalese government does not allow permission to observe the Tibetan National Uprising Day, we would like to urge all Tibetans to honour the law of the land and refrain from holding any public gathering or peaceful protests to commemorate the Tibetan National Uprising Day,” reads a circular issued by the Kathmandu based Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office.
The notice issued on Thursday has further urged Tibetans to conduct prayers and ritual activities at home to commemorate the 64th Tibetan National Uprising Day on March 10th.
China pumps in Millions of Yuan annually to support and execute various projects in Nepal. With the influx of Chinese aid in Nepal, Tibetans residing in the country have witnessed an increase in the imposition of restrictions on their basic human rights and harassment from the Nepalese authorities as a result of strong pressure from China.
The government of Nepal, under pressure from China, has arbitrarily arrested hundreds of Tibetans and restricted their right to demonstrate against the March 2008 crackdown in Tibet. Since then the Nepalese government has either barred Tibetans from commemorating the Tibetan National Uprising Day or used brutal force to crack down on the peaceful Tibetan protesters.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global rights watchdog, explained in detail the prevailing ‘de facto ban on political protests, sharp restrictions on public activities promoting Tibetan culture and religion, and routine abuses by Nepali security forces’ in a 100-page report it published in April 2014.
With increased cooperation between China and Nepal, China is able to stem the flow of Tibetan refugees from crossing into Nepal and Tibetan refugees escaping to Nepal risks being extradited.
