Dharamsala, August 18 – Seven Tibetans have been arrested by Nepalese police from a Lamabagar village near Nepal- China border in Dolakha district, Kantipur online reported.
The seven Tibetans were on their way via Nepal to India where the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has lived since 1959.
Inspector Hari Basnet of the District Police Office said the four men and three women have been handed over to the Immigration Department of Nepal.
No further information on the seven Tibetans was available.
Thousands of Tibetans risk their lives crossing into Nepal each year to head for India where they get blessed by their leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and get education in schools run by the exile Tibetan government.
In September 2006, Chinese border patrol killed a 17 year old Tibetan nun, Kalsang Namtso, who was among 75 Tibetan refugees fleeing Tibet through the Nangpala pass. Only 41 Tibetans out of the 75 made it to the Tibetan Refugee Transit Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kunsang Namgyal, a 23 year old man, was hit in the leg twice and was taken away. He is believed to have died later.
A year later, on October 18, 2007 Chinese border patrol opened fire on a group of 39 Tibetan refugees fleeing Tibet. No casualties were however reported but 3 were arrested.
Nepalese and Chinese authorities met in Lhasa last week to discuss matters related to border security between the two countries. Media reports indicate that the issue of Tibetans using Nepal as transit to escape to India would be a discussed.
