By TS
Kathmandu – Tibetan refugees in the Nepali capital Kathmandu celebrates their 45th democracy day under Nepali authorities restriction. On September 2nd, hundreds of Tibetans including school children gathered at a monastery near the great Buddhist stupa, Boudhanath, with the hope of celebrating the 45th democracy day on the monastery’s ground as usual (since the last couple of years) but the Nepali police prohibited them to take the Dalai lama’s photo to the gathering place from the monastery. So they(Tibetans) have no alternative other than to do it in the monastery’s puja hall. They did some religious rituals and read out the statements by the Kashag(i.e, the cabinet of the exile govt. at Dharamsala, India) and the also the statements of the Tibetan parliament on the occasion of th the 45th democracy day. Beside, speaking to the gathering Mr. Wangchuk Tsering said, “Years ago we used to hold such programs at the boudha stupa itself, and also at some other venues. We have sought permission this time too and it was granted, but at the last minute they disallowed us, particulary His Holiness’s photo. It is not that the Nepali government and the Nepali people dislikes the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people, but it is because of pressure from outside.”
Through out the program there was the presence of dozen Nepali police.
Nepal hosts over twenty thousand Tibetan refugees. Since 2000, Nepal has tightened its restrictions on Tibetan religious and political activities in Nepal. Analysts say there is immense pressure from China on Nepal over the issue. In Febuary this year Nepal closed the Dalai Lama’s representative office in Kathmandu.
