Kathmandu, September 12 – Thirtyfour Tibetan refugees, including six women and five children, on their way to India to meet their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, have been arrested in Nepal for entering the Himalayan Kingdom illegally.
They entered Humla district of far-west Nepal from Taklakot of China without visa and were planning to make their way to Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama’s exiled headquarters, said sources at the Tibetan Welfare Office in Kathmandu today. They were arrested yesterday by the Royal Nepalese Army patrol team at Teghari and handed over to the District Police Office Kailali.
The refugees will be brought to Kathmandu for necessary investigation, according to the sources. The Tibetan Welfare Office has also sent its representatives to Kailali to investigate into the matter.
They will be sent to Dharamshala after making arrangements of necessary travel documents, sources at the welfare office here said.
The Nepal Government had in May 31, 2003 sent back 18 Tibetan refugees illegally entering Kathmandu to China against the usual practice of sending them to Dharamshala. This had sparked strong reaction from international communities.
Every year hundreds of Tibetan refugees cross the border of Communist country China aiming to meet Dalai Lama at Dharamshala in India. There are at present some 100 refugees in Kathmandu’s refugee camp, waiting to visit Dharamshala after clearing necessary travel documents, sources close to the camp said.
There are more than 20,000 Tibetan refugees permanently settled in Nepal at present.
