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Beijing Leans on Nepal over Tibetan Refugees

Written by Saransh Sehgal
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
China uses military, logistical, infrastructure aid to strengthen anti-Tibetan alliance Under pressure from the Beijing, the Nepalese government has arrested hundreds of refugee Tibetans who cross the border from Tibet to escape persecution by the Chinese regime, refugees say, sending many back to China and earning objections from human rights groups. Kathmandu has also blocked human rights demonstrations led by Tibet support groups and has put a stop to all pro-Tibet activities, refugees who have made it to Dharamsala say, in particular on March 10 when Tibetans sought to commemorate the anniversary of the failed 2008 uprising in Tibet. The 20,000-odd Tibetans who live in Nepal are barred from holding any protests on its soil. Celebrations of the Dalai Lama's birthday are taken as anti-government activities by authorities. The tiny Himalayan nation is caught between Asia's two giants, India and China. Most Tibetans fleeing their homeland cross Nepal to India for shelter in the hill town of Dharamsala where their supreme leader and Tibetan Buddhism's highest religious figure, the Dalai Lama, took refuge in 1959 along with thousands of his followers with the consent of the Indian government. The pressure increased after China's army chief of staff, Gen. Chen Bingde, visited Kathmandu to pledge US$20 million in military and logistical support to the impoverished government of the tiny neighboring country. It was not the first donation and is unlikely to be the last. Chen led a 15-member army delegation to Nepal seeking to prevent any additional turmoil by the Tibetans in the country. It was the highest-level military visit from China to Nepal in more than a decade. The People's Liberation Army chief held high-level talks with Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, Defence Minister Bishnu Paudel and his Nepalese counterpart General Chhatraman Singh Gurung, requesting that the Nepal government block movement of Tibetans across the border. "The purpose of my visit is to strengthen friendship and cooperation between Nepal and China," Chen told reporters. "This cooperation is not only conducive for our people but also for world peace and the Asia Pacific region." The Nepalese government reassured China of its support and commitment to the 'One China Policy,' and indicated it would bar anti-Chinese activity on its soil. It also agreed to "deepen military ties and ensure peace at the Tibet frontier." "General Chen expressed gladness at the steadily developing relation between two countries and said that economically developing and politically stable Nepal is important not only for the stability of Asia Pacific region but also for the whole world," according to a statement released by the Nepal's Prime Minister's Office in Kathmandu. Over the years Beijing has vilified any efforts by exiles to change the situation inside Tibet, which the Chinese occupied in 1950, terming the invasion a peaceful liberation of longstanding Chinese territory. Tibetans refugees started flocking to Nepal after the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama fled over the Himalayas into exile in India. Interestingly Nepal has traditionally been more aligned with India. However, recent moves by Beijing, especially in infrastructure development, have made China a much more influential player in Nepal than India. "We are treated as criminals in Nepal," said an exiled Tibetan who gave his name only as Tsering. "The Nepalese government does everything the way China wants it do, and we have even lost the right to do a peaceful march." He had lived in Nepal but fled to Dharamsala, he said. Nepal has launched many crackdowns since refugees staged protests against China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games and the deadly 2008 Tibetan riots. Rights groups have declared Tibetan refugees in Nepal to be increasingly vulnerable and at risk of arrest and repatriation to China. Under pressure from China, Nepal has refused to recognize Tibetan refugees who arrived after 1989. They are not allowed to register marriages. On any major anniversary of that Tibetan exiles attempt to celebrate, dozens are arrested, with reports that even monks are beaten, tear-gassed and kicked. The United Nations' human-rights office says some people are now being arrested purely "on the basis of their appearance" without being demonstrators. Recent Tibetan government-in-exile elections were treated as an unlawful activity by the Nepalese government, depriving a large number of people the right to exercise their vote. "We cannot allow such an illegal activity within our territory," Superintendent of Police Pushkar Karki, who also serves as chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Circle, told local media. "We need to follow the government's policy." Last year the Wikileaks website disclosed US State Department cables from the embassy in New Delhi, alleging that China pays Nepalese police substantial money to arrest fleeing Tibetans. "Chinese government rewards (Nepali forces) by providing financial incentives to officers who hand over Tibetans attempting to exit Tibet," said the cable, titled 'Update on Tibetan refugee flow.' Despite the restrictions, more than 2,500 Tibetans cross the border annually, embarrassing the Chinese government, which has sought to portray its administration in Lhasa as benevolent and dedicated to the welfare of the Tibetan people. The Nepalese government since the Wikileaks disclosures has come under fire for bending to pressure from the Chinese government in deporting exiles to China after previously having allowed them unhindered passage. The Nepalese government previously honored a United Nations-brokered "gentlemen's agreement" between Nepal and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide safe transit to Tibetan refugees who wish to travel through Nepal to Dharamsala, where thousands of Tibetan exiles have their base. That agreement has been abrogated under Chinese pressure. Watch groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists have recently warned Kathmandu against breaching its international obligations, instead substituting "preventive arrests and policing restrictions on demonstrations and freedom of movement that deny the right to legitimate peaceful expression and assembly during anniversaries and festivals marked by the Tibetan community." "The link between China's aggression against Tibetans and Nepalese police actions has contributed to an environment of fear and insecurity in Nepal's Tibetan communities," the International Campaign for Tibet, the US based Tibet lobby said. Western countries, particularly the United States, have pressed the Nepalese government to soften its stance. The Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero, the White House's special coordinator for Tibetan issues, visited refugee centers in Nepal in February where she met government officials to raise the issues of free passage and problems faced by Tibetans in Nepal itself. She pledged the continued support of the US government for the safety and welfare of refugees. "We have a longstanding policy, as you know, of supporting the needs of vulnerable refugee populations, and consider the Tibetan populations in Nepal to be particularly vulnerable. The U.S. continues to monitor the situation of both newly arriving refugees and the long-staying populations," a State Department official said in a statement on Feb. 18. The Tibetan government-in-exile has appealed to Western nations to persuade the Nepalese government to allow the Tibetan activities and respect the human rights situation. Analysts believe China's long term plan is to neutralize Tibetans outside Tibet, leaving no voices to speak against them when the Dalai Lama retires completely. Rameshwor Acharya, the former Nepal ambassador to China, told reporters on March 24 that "China's concerns over Nepal are growing" and that "the visit shows that China wants the support of our army to control anti-Chinese activities following the resignation of the Dalai Lama." Thus many of the thousands of refugees wishing to leave their Himalayan homeland are finding that safe passage through Nepal is becoming increasingly unlikely and the future of Nepal's ownTibetan community appears uncertain as well. Saransh Sehgal is a writer based in Dharamsala, India. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 9313 Comments (20) Subscribe to this comment's feed Dirty people written by African man, March 29, 2011 What are the Brits doing or have done? Grabbed the Falkands from the Argentians? Fed opium to the Chiinese and then attacked them? Attacked Iraq without the UN mandate for we know what. Now Libya and not Algeria, Yeman, etc. Bunch of hypocrites. +1 Hands off, India written by Asian, March 29, 2011 Why is India meddling into the affairs of China, when it comes to Tibet, while it does not do anything else in any other parts of the world???????????? Certainly not of the great love for the dalai lama, he holds no importance to India, other than to use him to prick China. Be careful, India, you will lose the war again if one is to flare up, just like you did like in 1950s border war. Don't be a busybody. be a good boy and try to upgrade your people's living standards more. Geopolitics is not for you, you are not up to the complexities of it. If this is not all meddling, what is? And oh, this article is written by an Indian, so you'll expect more of the same. +3 Is this impartial writing? written by Chaz, March 29, 2011 Sometimes I wonder if Asia Sentinel is impartial. At the start of the article, it's stated it's an invasion. There are always two sides of a story. Regardless it's an invasion or not, Tibet today is part of China. In history, there are times, it might not looked that way but I would suggest to Asia Sentinel and the writer (sounds very Indian) to be impartial in their writings. There are animosity between both countries and the writer already took a very pro-India stance. Oh ya, specifically to the writer, can you just read up India history, see the parts that it's not India and now it's part of India? See how it was absorbed into India. Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. That assumed that China is the kettle but then again, Tibet in history from time to time is part of China. +0 nepalis word written by nepali, March 29, 2011 i have friends tibetans which feel very insecure, things better now after usa intererence but life of tibetans is no good............ we were better off with new delhi support +2 ... written by SC3, March 30, 2011 China is meddling in the internal affairs of Nepal. It is up to the Nepalese government, as it is up to the government of any country, how to deal with refugees within their country. China says it does not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries but does so whenever it pleases. And "Asian", perhaps you might want more than 25 years of economic development before you start lecturing India. you still have lots of problems of your own. +1 bloodoftibet written by bloodoftibet, March 30, 2011 tibetans burn in nepal. human rights violation is increasing in nepal. nepalese govt is proxy govt of beijing. china sucks.nepal sucks. +1 ... written by Asian, March 30, 2011 @SC3 It will take a 100 years or maybe never, for India to improve the livelihood of its impoverished people, so stop lecturing China or me about it. Again, I say, stop being a busybody and learn not to meddle in the internal affairs of another sovereign country. And before you say china has problems, you and India has more insurmountable problems, so don't brag, which is atypical of the country. A child who plays with fire will almost always invariably gets burnt or at worse, die from it. You are not up to geopolitics so don't try. It is the fire which will burn the fire starter, not the source of the fire itself. Understand that. Interfering in the internal affairs of a country by providing safe haven to the dalai lama, is what India is doing, Its like Afghanistan shielding Osama bin laden, who may be looked upon as evil in western eyes but not so in parts of Pakistan, Afghan and many in the muslim world. Nepal's internal affairs is not being intervened, These so-called Tibetan refugees are Chinese citizens, not Nepalese. So, what intervening are you talking about? SC3. The dalai lama is a Chinese citizen. Now, that is called real and deliberate intervention by India. Get it straight and get it right before you open you mouth. -1 Wakakakakaka, Lowly rated comment [Show] @Asian written by SC3, March 31, 2011 You have a very arrogant tone and are very condescending towards India. Obviously the fact that the Dalai Lama is in India irritates you. This simply comes across as being ludicrous however, considering that your beloved China has only very recently started developing economically, and isn't showing much progress in developing socially or culturally. You also clearly do not have much understanding of international norms regarding the treatment of refugees, yet you tell other people to do their homework? Or can China do whatever it likes and is above having to confirm to international norms? +3 ... written by Asian, March 31, 2011 Quote "Or can China do whatever it likes and is above having to confirm to international norms?" If you are such a moral crusader, better tell that to the Americans, Brits and French. It is more appropriate. Is invading Libya and openly declaring to kill off Gaddafi, the head of a sovereign state, confirming to international norms? Or your brain and heart is just being biased and selective? Not all people who fled their countries are seen as refugees. Who decides? Again, western countries, you and your beloved India who suckers up to them? Where's your independence? They are mere political separatists who seek to overthrow the government. Repeat. Don't be a busybody. Go mind your own Kashmir. India is obviously doing a lot of violent misdeeds there, and the world turns a blind eye, because, oh, you are a democracy' LOL No need for you to lecture China on culture, not when the world does not has the same 5,000 year old unending civilisation, And as for developing socially, you clearly do not understand China other then what is reported in English, and you are in no position to comment further. SC3 very starkly showed a 'very arrogant tone and is very condescending towards China', maybe because his beloved India is still very much playing catching up, and still catching up, yet bragging at no end all the time and everywhere on their planned progress which are what is it, planned, still on the drawing board. Hahaha, one Indian transport minster tells BBC that they will soon have more subway lines than the most connected city of London, by a kilometer more. Next they boasted on CNN that they will have 450 million internet users by 2015, from a mere 81 million now. Great stats, but we only believe in hard date, not what you say. Many Indians also go round telling everyone that their economy is the 4th largest (maybe only by PPP), but the truth is, India is merely the 12th in the world. -2 Take it Easy Guys written by Devendra Lekhak, March 31, 2011 There is a lot of bitterness in all the writings above. Everybody is right and everybody is wrong. The west certainly has double standards. And they initiate the international laws and rules anyway. The only thing I have to say is if the West including India supports one China Policy, then the Inidians should not be making a lot of noise about it. Will India tolerate anti Indian movements that start in Nepal by Pakistanis or any other country, even Indians themselves from eastern India or southern India, obviously not. Please keep that in mind while you give your opinion. Why don't the Indians talk about the treatment that it has afforded to the Nepalese for the last 60 years. Come to think of it, it still owes Nepal some land !! It still owes Nepal a lot of apology for not treating the Nepalese according to International norms. Just because one has a focus on a country does not mean that country is bad. For me, India is not bad either, but then there are times when young guys like you make it seem worse and tend to blow off your steam without much regard to history, culture and sentiments of the other. Take it easy guys, get your stories straight. Be like China, quiet and calm and slowly moving forward -1 @Asian written by SC3, April 01, 2011 At what point have I made any comment about western double standards? You are painting everything very black and white as China v the West, and making a grand assumption that I am anti-China and pro the West (false). You are also incorrectly assuming that I only understand English and not Mandarin (false). Regarding China's unbroken 5,000 year civilisation, also a fallacy, but I guess you need to invent some justification for your national pride. Regarding India, I've never been there, and don't know that much about the place. However I do know that they also have very rapid economic development, so unlike you am not going to arrogantly write them off. Contrary to what you think, I am pro-China. China's economic development and emerging leadership on green technology is great, I just wish for the day that China can feel secure and confident in it's position to adhere to international norms (not Western norms), stop blaming everyone else for it's own problems and lose the prickly attitude. People like you however are holding China back. +2 @SC3 written by Asian, April 01, 2011 It is not an assumption. You are indeed anti-China anti-China and pro-West. Nothing wrong with being pro-west of course. Everyone who reads your comments here, there and everywhere in Asia Sentinel will conclude this. So don't hide behind a veil when you are confronted and proven so. China indeed has a 5,000 years unbroken history. It is not a fallacy, not my personal invention. You are a mere stooge, you don't even know historians' acknowledgement of this, and you dispute my statement out of thin air. So much for an intellectual debate with a moron. -3 Nothing surprising written by Dalai, April 01, 2011 Leading an improvished nation myself, I can appreciate Nepal actions to maximise milking the two opponents on either side of the new Cold War. I still called myself a Marxist, but I have no qualm of receiving billions of dirty Capitalist money from the sole Hegemon. -4 @Asian written by SC3, April 01, 2011 Perhaps you should actually read my comments before replying. Point to where I have made pro-West comments. You can't because I have not written any. Likewise point to where I have commented on China's 5,000 year unbroken history. I commented on civilisation, not history. During much of the last 100 years China was an uncivilised place, therefore you cannot claim 5,000 years of unbroken civilisation. In any case 5,000 years of unbroken history is only 'proven' by Chinese historians, which is in fact nothing more than a political statement. The current Chinese borders have only existed in anything vaguely like their current form since 1959 (the invasion of Tibet). China as we know it today is a very recent creation. +3 ... written by Wangchuk, April 01, 2011 For all practical purposes, Nepal has given up its sovereignty & become a vassal state of the PRC Empire. The PRC has bought Nepal lock, stock & barrel. When Chinese officials yell "jump!" Nepal Govt says "how high?" Poor Tibetan refugees are now victims of Nepalese human rights violations as well as Chinese human rights abuses. The PRC wants to become the Middle Kingdom again & woe be to anyone who tries to stand in its way. But all empires eventually fall & one day the CCP will be thrown out of power by the Chinese people. +3 ... written by Asian, April 02, 2011 I has replied with this "not when the world does not has the same 5,000 year old unending civilisation..." to your saying this "..and isn't showing much progress in developing socially or culturally" Civilisation is culture, and you said China has no culture. Is that not putting down China, and being racist, what is?? The 5,000 unending civilisation is not just said by Chinese historians, it is acknowledged by world historians. You are certainly not a student of history. The current Chinese border is in fact, smaller than the border of the Qing dynasty, the last dynasty of China. And Tibet was very much part of the Qing's rule. Tibet was also part of China in many times of history. Again, you are not a student of history. For you to quote 100 years out of 5,000, and claim it is an uncivilised place, you will only convinced yourself. If you want to be trivial and petty, you should have referred to the warring states, before the first emperor's reign. That is longer than 100 years in chaos. But you didn't. because again, you are not a student of history. So, don't try to be a smart ass here. But like most smart ass, they will want to win, and winning is only attained by having their last final say. So, you can do so. I welcome you. Like I said, it provide good 'entertainment' fodder for AS readers. -2 @Sc3 written by Asian, April 02, 2011 SC3, You have never been to India and do not know much of the place, but you can make comments like you are some Indian guru. You do not know that historians have acknowledged China has an unending 5,000 years of civilisation, and argue with me, heatedly, albeit shallowly, on it. You say the assumption that you do not understand Mandarin is false. But you never explicitly said that you do understand Mandarin. You do not know much about the extent of China's borders through the ages, but said thing acting like you do. You said you are pro-China but has showed no inclination towards that. You also said you are not pro-western and pro-India but again, you have shown no inclination against that either. All these just goes to paint you like some wannabe smart ass. I rest my case. -2 ... written by Asian, April 02, 2011 And oh, a country at war or in chaos does not mean its culture and civilisation has ceased. The culture is still there, and so is the civilisation, all remained intact and unchanged. Don't confused it with political rule. I know you are, because in any case, you have not shown depth of understanding in current affairs or China affairs or Indian affairs or western affairs or world affairs. -1 CCP should close an eye on border crossing written by CPY, May 19, 2011 While I support CCP's efforts in maintaining territorial integrity in a peaceful manner, it would be wiser for them to allow disatisfied Tibetans to cross the border. At least, they can release their steam, while the politburo come up with some better solution. The least effective solution is to firefight by suppression demonstrations. +0 Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) Write the displayed characters