Tibetans Arrested In Nepal Ahead Of Democracy Day

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

AHN
By Anil Giri
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Kathmandu, Nepal- Nepali police arrested two exiled Tibetans leaders Monday evening in Bouddha, in the Kathmandu Valley, in connection with the spreading Tibetan movement, on the eve of the Tibetans' Democracy day on Sept. 2.

Those arrested were identified as Kelsang Nodup, 33, and Tashi Dawa, 23. Confirming the arrest, Deputy Superintendent of Nepal Police of Bouddha area, Govinda Pariyar, said the duo were leaders with the New Age Network (NAN), a pro-Tibetan organization. According to Pariyar, Nordup is the president of NAN and Dawa is a central committee member.

The men were arrested while allegedly pasting anti-China posters for the Sept. 2 demonstration in and around the Bouddha area. Both have been sent to preventive detention and booked on public offense charges. If the charges are proven, Nordup could be jailed for several days. Dawa will likely be released after Democracy Day.

Nordup has been arrested thrice over the last three years in connection with Tibetan demonstrations.

Police also recovered some documents related to the planned demonstration and anti- China activities.

Large numbers of expatriate Tibetans live in Bouddha. Nepal is the home of more than 20,000 exiled Tibetans and there is immense pressure from the West on the Nepali government not to repress the Tibetan demonstration and allow them a safe passage to visit Dharmashala, India.

On Aug. 19, during a meeting with the Nepalese Home Minister, Bhim Rawal, the Acting Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Atul Keshap, asked the government to honor its 1989 agreement to allow free passage for Tibetan refugees wanting to travel to India. In June, at least three Tibetan refugees were sent back to Tibet from Lamabagar in Rasuwa district along the Tibetan border, triggering a diplomatic tug-of-war between Western countries and China.

Adhering to the One-China policy, Nepalese authorities refused to budge and banned Tibetans from conducting any kind of politically-motivated demonstration inside Nepal.