Nepal's Handling of Tibetan Refugees
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern on June 3, 2005 because when the Tibetan Refugee Center in Kathmandu was closed in January,2005 Nepalese authorities began handing over of Tibetan
refugees to the Chinese authorities.
The Committee's biggest concern is that there is
no domestic legislation in Nepal that covers the rights of refugees and
asylum-seeking persons. Referring to Tibetan refugees the Committee
stated alarm to note that "the reports of deportation of Tibetan asylum seekers to China by Nepal, including unaccompanied minors, and the closure of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office in January 2005."
On determining refugee status, the Committee was disappointed by the fact that "the rule that refugees status can only be sought by
certain categories of asylum-seekers, specifically, the Tibetans who arrived in Nepal before 1990."
The Committee has encouraged Nepal to "as a matter of priority,
review its policy regarding birth registration of refugee children and ensure that all children of refugees and asylum seekers born in the state are issued with birth certificates."
I just returned from a trip to Nepal in February, 2005. When I left
home in Denver it was 2 days after the King of Nepal has closed the airport and had turned off the telephones due to rebel activity. I
have a teacher named Lopon Tenzin Namdak who has a Monestary in Kathmandu and I was on my way to honor him on his 80th birthday.
After 2 weeks in Bhutan, my travel companion and I found out on the
last day possible that they had opened the airport in Kathmandu. When
we arrived not only were the phones turned off, but they had actually
removed them from the walls at the airport.
When we drove into Thamel to our Hotel we witnessed police or military in riot gear. Although we were safe for a week in Kathmandu, we did hear that the roads were blocked by rebels who had shot several people who were traveling by bus. I am very concerned for all the Tibetan
people in Nepal now. I am glad that I was able to visit when I did because it looks grim and it may be that in the future the country will fall to the Maoists.
The best news we could find about the situation seems to come from the BBC. If you have comments, have been to Nepal recently, or understand the politics there and want to share your news or ideas here, please do.
Submitted by Rinchen Chodrom
refugees to the Chinese authorities.
The Committee's biggest concern is that there is
no domestic legislation in Nepal that covers the rights of refugees and
asylum-seeking persons. Referring to Tibetan refugees the Committee
stated alarm to note that "the reports of deportation of Tibetan asylum seekers to China by Nepal, including unaccompanied minors, and the closure of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office in January 2005."
On determining refugee status, the Committee was disappointed by the fact that "the rule that refugees status can only be sought by
certain categories of asylum-seekers, specifically, the Tibetans who arrived in Nepal before 1990."
The Committee has encouraged Nepal to "as a matter of priority,
review its policy regarding birth registration of refugee children and ensure that all children of refugees and asylum seekers born in the state are issued with birth certificates."
I just returned from a trip to Nepal in February, 2005. When I left
home in Denver it was 2 days after the King of Nepal has closed the airport and had turned off the telephones due to rebel activity. I
have a teacher named Lopon Tenzin Namdak who has a Monestary in Kathmandu and I was on my way to honor him on his 80th birthday.
After 2 weeks in Bhutan, my travel companion and I found out on the
last day possible that they had opened the airport in Kathmandu. When
we arrived not only were the phones turned off, but they had actually
removed them from the walls at the airport.
When we drove into Thamel to our Hotel we witnessed police or military in riot gear. Although we were safe for a week in Kathmandu, we did hear that the roads were blocked by rebels who had shot several people who were traveling by bus. I am very concerned for all the Tibetan
people in Nepal now. I am glad that I was able to visit when I did because it looks grim and it may be that in the future the country will fall to the Maoists.
The best news we could find about the situation seems to come from the BBC. If you have comments, have been to Nepal recently, or understand the politics there and want to share your news or ideas here, please do.
Submitted by Rinchen Chodrom
posted by MBC @ 2:10 PM
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