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VOL. 27, NO. 34, May 09, 2008 (Baishakh 27 2065 B.S.)
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Chinese Concern
Chinese embassy expresses concern over the growing anti-Chinese activities in Nepal
By A CORRESSPONDENT
Although Chinese Embassy has issued a strong statement denouncing pro-Tibetan activists in Nepal for launching anti-China demonstrations, it has not made any change in the determined mood of Tibetan refugees, coming from Dalai Lama's exiled home in Indian city of Dharmashala.
"I will continue to come to protest for Tibetans. China must end its rule in Tibet and let Tibetans live peacefully," said Tibetan Activist Nima Dolkar, (The Himalayan Times, a newspaper with Indian investment.) (May 7, 2008)
Refugee like Dolkar is not alone. It is almost regular to see a handful of Tibetans demonstrating in front of Chinese Embassy and United Nation premises for the last one and a half month. Despite adequate laws to punish such kinds of activities, the police are just taking preventive measures since the government has not given clear direction regarding Tibetan demonstrators who even don't have valid refugee documents issued to them in Nepal.
According to Nepal Police sources, most of these Tibetan demonstrators don't have valid refuge status. Their interrogation shows that most of these refugees have come from Dalai Lama's exiled home in Dharmasala in India. "Although some of them are in Lama's dress, they behave like well trained commandos when police intervene them," said an official source.
“Tibetan exiles living in India can easily cross the border since there is absolutely no restriction for Indians coming to Nepal because of open international border. If stronger actions are not taken at the border, there is every possibility of many more infiltrations of Tibetan refugees from India which will adversely affect Nepal's internal security,” said a police source.
In recent years, hundreds of monasteries have already been built in and around the capital, Kathmandu, with the funding from unknown sources. Police officials see these monasteries as safe sanctuaries for such Tibetans.
"Like Indians who are concerned about the growing mosques and madarsas in Nepal’s southern terai as potential threat to their security, Chinese too seem to be quite concerned about the possibility of misusing the privileges such monasteries offer," said a senior official of Ministry of Home on condition of anonymity. The Chinese have already informed the government about the alleged Tibetan refugees link with terrorist organizations like the Indian’s suspects about the mosques and madarsas. "
Although prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has repeatedly assured the Chinese envoy that his government will not allow anti-Chinese activities in Nepal, the government is unable to control such activities.
"Any foreigners whether refugees or others, they have to abide by the law of the land. If they don't, they will be subjected to legal actions. This is what happens every where in the world. Some Tibetan separatists who are campaigning for "so called Free Tibet" from Nepalese soil are also subject to deportation. Since these “so called Tibetan refuges” have not only violated Nepal's declared foreign policy and the law of the land by backing some anti-Chinese foreign forces but are also trying to turn Nepal as a frontline state to create trouble for the Chinese," said Madan Regmi, Chairman China Study Center. "China Study Center seriously feels that government of Nepal has not been able to perceive the ramification of these on going anti-China activities. Thus, it urges the government to sincerely come forth to protect its own rule of law and stave up anti-China activities which has been going on in Kathmandu to damage the Beijing Olympic.".
Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu issued a press statement accusing few human rights organizations for interfering in Nepal's internal affairs and attempting to damage Sino-Nepal relations.
"They say those protests by the Tibetans in Nepal were peaceful demonstrations. In fact, a few Tibetan independence organizations and their ringleaders, by organizing and instigating the Tibetans who do not know the truth, attempted to storm Chinese Embassy many times, damaged the embassy's buildings twice and repeatedly attacked patriotic Tibetans, destroyed their houses and shops and threatened their safety," said press release issued by the Chinese Embassy.
At a time when Indians are for the first time claiming to have upper hand in Nepal vis-à-vis China, the growing anti-China activities in Nepal seem to be a direct sequel to such thinking. "India is for the first time, perhaps, actually well placed vis-à-vis China in the landlocked Himalayan nation's polity," writes Hindustan Times, May 2, 2008.
When democratic India feels more happy to see radical communist force in power in Nepal, how China will respond to this new power equation at the time of growing anti-China activities in Nepal remains to be seen.
