DHARAMSHALA, September 1: An ex member of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Kathmandu has been arrested Saturday by the Nepalese police which claim that they have information about a protest by the Tibetan man on the Tibetan Democracy Day (September 2, 2013). Sources also say that the police have a tip off about a Tibetan man named Ayi la planning to carry out a self-immolation protest on September 2.
Confirming the arrest, a Tibetan woman told the Voice of Tibet radio service that she got a call from the Police saying that they will release him after September 2. “Talks were doing rounds in the local Tibetan community about a possible self immolation by a Tibetan on the democracy day, and that the police were looking for him,” she said.
The police yesterday nabbed Ayi la, a former executive member of the Kathmandu RTYC, from a tea stall near Boudhanath stupa, where majority of the Tibetan refugees dwell. A Tibetan source said it could not be confirmed whether he was actually planning a protest as the Police claimed or it was just an excuse to nab him.
Another source said that the Police were currently in search of more members of RTYC in Kathmandu. However, no other arrests have been made as of now. Ayila has been a staunch activist for Tibet and have landed in Nepalese jail several times for protests against China in the past.
Earlier this month, Karma Nyedon Gyatso, a differently abled Tibetan monk died minutes after setting himself ablaze near Boudhanath stupa. The Nepalese government did not hand over his body to the Tibetan community for post death Buddhist rites despite appeals from Tibetans.
Nepal, which is home to some 20,000 Tibetans, has accommodated Tibetan exiles for decades, but has come under increasing pressure from China, a major donor for the impoverished country, to crack down on the political protests by Tibetans.
Tibetans and foreign tourists visiting Nepal say that the erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom has become an extension of Chinese territory where anything against China is not tolerated. “Even religious freedom of the Tibetans are being curbed now. They don’t even let the Tibetans celebrate the Dalai Lama’s birthday.” Police in civilian clothes are constantly monitoring Tibetans and their movement in Nepal.
