By Phayul Stringer
Kathmandu: Thinley Lama, representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Nepal was arrested by Nepal Police late Friday afternoon from his office, the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office (TRWC), Lazimpat. Earlier in the day, Lama had organised a press conference at a hotel in the capital.
“This press conference has been organised to clarify and give correct and factual information on the news of alleged Tibetan refugees in Nepal that has been reported in the media recently and also to bring forward the problems faced by Tibetan refugees in Nepal,” read the official statement.
Last week on Tuesday, two students Tenzing (15) and Miss Chering Lhamu (12) were arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport after they were found carrying letters from TRWC citing that they were bonafide Tibetan refugees. The duo were however traveling to US with Nepali passports.
The Central Investigation Bureau accused them of being Tibetan refugees who obtained Nepali citizenship through illegal means.
However, TRWC in the press release issued Friday contradicted the report and stated that Tenzing and Chering Lhamu were not Tibetan refugees. TRWC said that upon investigating into the matter, both the refugee camp office and the Tibetan Reception Centre in Kathmandu had no records of the two, thus concluding that the letters obtained from the siblings were concocted. It further added that even the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamshala, India did not have any record with regard to the matter.
Based on the contradictory statement issued by his office, the Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu detained Thinley along with his aides at the Hanumandhoka police station. Although the police maintained that the arrest was intended only for clearing matters on the contradictory statement issued by TRWC, the interrogations continued till late evening.
Thinley was released around 8 at night after signing a paper stating that the TRWO will contact and coordinate with the local administration about any formal programs that his office organises.
The Nepal government, since 1998 has put on hold the process of issuing refugee cards, making it difficult for Tibetans born in Nepal after 1998 and those without the card to obtain legal documents such as driving license, travel documents etc.
During the press conference, Thinley also spoke on the problems of unemployment among Tibetan youths and the scarcity of opportunities for higher education.
“We request that the government drafts the necessary law addressing the problems faced by Tibetan refugees for inclusion in the new constitution of Nepal” Thinley said.
