Tibetans Protest in Kathmandu
Tibetan Monks, Refugees and Supporters Denounce Violence in Tibet
Tibetan monks, refugees and supporters gather in front of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu to protest China's violent crackdown in Tibet.
Tibetan monks, refugees and their supporters who were peacefully protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal were violently dispersed by the Nepalese police.
According to Voice of America, approximately 100 protestors were arrested. This comes after around 400 demonstrators were arrested on Monday.
There was another protest in front of the United Nations building, from were reportedly forty demonstrators were arrested.
Tibetans in Nepal
Traditionally Nepal has been a safe heaven for Tibetans fleeing their homeland. Capital Kathmandu and city of Lalitpur is home to large Tibetan refugee population.
Majority of Tibetans are Buddhists. In Nepal, which has sizeable Buddhists population, they are free to practice their religion and customs. Monasteries in Kathmandu’s Bouddha, Swayambhu, Chabahil house number of Tibetan monks and their young disciples.
The Government of Tibet in Exile, which is seated in Dharamsala, India, estimates that there are about 14,000(1998) Tibetans exiles living in Nepal.
Changing Times
Although thousand of Tibetans have found refuge in Nepal for years, things have changed. Tibetan refugee center in Kathmandu shutting down in early 2005 signaled shift in Nepal’s position, after the April 2006 political upheaval in Nepal the shift was more marked.
Nepalese government headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is increasingly being pressured by the Chinese government to act tougher on the Tibet issue.
Hindustan Times reported last year that 5,000 Tibetan refugee’s were denied exit permit by the Nepalese government, which prevented them from getting asylum in the United States.
Number of refugees being deported from Nepal is also on the rise. In 2003 18 Tibetan refuges were handed over to China, out of which seven were held in prison by China for at least six months.
Nepal-China Relationship
Nepal and China share a very close relationship that goes back to seventh century. Cultural bond and citizen contact between the two nations was strengthened when Buddhism started making in roads to China from Nepal and Tibet.
Nepal supports China’s position on Tibet and Taiwan and is very careful not to criticize the People’s Republic’s record on Human Rights and minority issues.
In recent years, the Chinese government has provided technical and economic assistance to Nepal in areas of agriculture, highway infrastructure, education, health care, sports and water supply.
Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that China grants 100 scholarships every year to Nepalese students to study in China. The People’s Republic has also established Confucius Institute in Kathmandu University in collaboration with Hebei University of Trade and Business of China in 2007.
