Nepal may have decided to take a tough new line on Tibetans fleeing their China-ruled Himalayan homeland for the neighbouring kingdom. On April 17, the Nepalese authorities ordered 18 Tibetan refugees, including 10 teenagers, to be detained for between seven and 10 months for “illegal entry into the Kingdom of Nepal.” Tibetan activists say that seems to break a “gentleman’s agreement,” in force since 1988, under which Tibetan refugees arrested by Nepalese police were taken to the Immigration Department in Kathmandu and handed over to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They were then transported by the UNHCR through Nepal to exile communities in India. Over the past year, the Nepalese government has started arresting and fining refugees–and many non-governmental organizations and private individuals have paid the fines. But the International Campaign for Tibet is concerned the payments have initiated a trend that will encourage further arrests. Furthermore, it claims that Nepal may deport the 18 Tibetans to China after they serve their sentences.
(FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW)
