DHARAMSHALA, January 22: The largest pro independence group of the Tibetan Diaspora has resurrected its presence in Nepal, a country that has come down heavily on Tibetan protests since 2008 under China’s influence. “
Tenzing Jigme, the President of Tibetan Youth Congress travelled to Nepal this month to attend the taking over ceremony of the 10th executive body of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Kathmandu. “What was really inspiring about this visit is that even though the new board members are aware of the risks that entails with becoming a TYC board member in Nepal, they have made commitments and sacrifices so that they can serve our cause and our country,” Jigme said.
TYC president who has returned here from his trip said that China sees Tibetans living in Nepal as a constant threat to their occupation of Tibet. “I think the Chinese believe that if there is a strong uprising in Nepal by Tibetans, it could have a very powerful influence to Tibetans in Tibet and they might also rise up and this is the main reason for the crackdown on Tibetans in Nepal.”
With China flexing its muscle in Nepal, home to some 20000 Tibetans, TYC activists in Nepal have often come under Nepalese government crackdown in the past. Executive members of Kathmandu RTYC were watched upon by Nepalese police to curb “anti China activities” in the impoverished nation that has seen increasing Chinese presence on its soil after 2008. Several protests in Nepal had to be carried out without visible TYC presence to avoid preemptive arrests of activists and to stop police disruption.
The Kathmandu RTYC election held on November 23, 2013 made Passang Chungta its president and Tashi Dawa the Vice President.
The newly elected Kathmandu RTYC president told phayul that Boudhanath Police has summoned him twice since the election and monitors his activities closely.
However, with the Maoists no longer in power in Nepal, Jigme is hopeful that things will change for the Tibetans.
In recent years Nepal has increasingly clamped down on the cultural and political expression of the Tibetans. The country’s increasing dependence on China for financial aid has meant that the freedom of Tibetan refugees has been curtailed. Also, several Tibetans caught trying to escape Tibet through Nepal have been repatriated in recent years.
Since 2011, three Tibetans had set themselves on fire in Nepal in anti China protests leading of the death of two.
