Nepal Detaining Tibetan Refugees, Handing Them Over To China

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

(PHOTO : -Tibetan Refugee Women in Thubten Choling near Junbesi, Nepal- photo image ©Arie van der Velden 2002)

NEW DELHI, INDIA : In yet another sign of increasing Chinese influence, Nepal is detaining refugees from Tibet and handing them back to Chinese authorities.

Tibetan agencies in Kathmandu have brought the matter to the notice of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu but highly placed government sources said New Delhi is not inclined to take up the matter officially with Nepal.

“The Indian embassy as well as some other embassies in Kathmandu are aware of the matter. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is trying to help us. We faced a similar situation in 2003 but it was sorted out. However, it started all over again in June this year,” Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office secretary in Kathmandu Trinlay Gyatso said.