GANGTOK, January 19 – For the second time in two months, Ugyen Palden, a Tibetan and a resident of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), has been apprehended by Sikkim Police while he was trying to seek refuge in India. The only difference is that he had managed to sneak past all the check-posts in North Sikkim this time and made it to the Tibetan Welfare Office in Gangtok this morning.
In his first attempt, the 16-year-old was apprehended near the Chungthang check-post in North district by Armymen on 19 December, 2005, along with another Tibetan. Both were pushed back to the TAR by the Army after a brief interrogation. However, Ugyen made his second attempt earlier this month and after days of traveling over mountains and forests, he had managed to reach the Tibetan Welfare Office today.
