China Pressures Nepal Over Exiles Tibetans: Human Rights Watch Report

[christine V]

KATHMANDU, April 01, 2014 (AFP)

The allegations, detailed in a new report based on the testimony of Tibetan refugees, monks, activists and senior Nepalese officials, highlight the intensified restrictions slapped on Tibetans in the Himalayan nation since 2008.

Nepal, home to around 20,000 Tibetans, is under huge pressure from its giant neighbour China over the exiles, and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate what it calls "anti-China activities".

"Nepal... is succumbing to Chinese pressure to limit the flow of Tibetans across the border and imposing restrictions on Tibetans in violation of its legal obligations," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Tibetans face a de facto ban on protests, increased surveillance and even reported attempts to force escapees back to China in contravention of Kathmandu's agreement with the UN's refugee agency, the report said.

In one instance, a former home ministry official told the rights group that local border police sent back Tibetans found in the border regions if they believed they were not "legitimate refugees".

Shankar Prasad Koirala, spokesperson for Nepal's home ministry, dismissed the claims, telling AFP: "There have been no forceful deportations, we have no such policy".

He added: "Nepal does not mistreat Tibetans... but the government will not tolerate any group acting in a hostile way towards a neighbouring country."

Although Nepal is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, it operates a "Gentleman's Agreement" with the UN under which it guarantees Tibetans in transit safe passage to India, where they can obtain refugee status.

Nini Gurung, spokesperson for the UN's refugee agency in Kathmandu said that "the report raises some very serious concerns ... but we are not in a position to confirm these reported instances of refugees being sent back by Nepal to China."

As Beijing and Kathmandu have tightened border restrictions, the number of exiles arriving in Nepal dropped to a record low of 171 in 2013, down from more than 2,000 in 2007.
- See more at: http://www.ntd.tv/en/news/world/asia-pacific/20140401/120755-china-pressures-nepal-over-exiles-tibetans-human-rights-watch-report.html#sthash.qVjiyHX9.dpuf

[Matibhadra]

The so-called ”Human Rights Watch” is a known arm or Western anti-humanity war propaganda.They are so much concerned with China and Nepal, but will never say one word about the thousands of Mexican and other Latino exiles brutally murdered, imprisoned, and deported trying to enter US, or about the thousands of Indonesian exiles facing the hell of Australian concentration camps.

[cookie]

The Tibetan diaspora has an estimate of about 150,000 of  Tibetans living outside of Tibet or China; of which about 100,000 of them live in India and Nepal. The others reside in  Usa Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, France, Taiwan and Australia. How does it feel to be a Tibetan living in exile ? Life like this must be filled with unending challenges.Families are separated and the new generations will find it hard to understand the struggles to stay patriotic to their government. Struggling to keep their identity, culture, religion whilst trying to assimilate into their new environments must be tough. As in the case of most countries they "look down" on the "refugees" and find it hard to give the same opportunities to them as they would their own citizens.
With so many external uncontrollable challenges to stay true as Tibetans , why would the CTA want to create more obstacles for their own people by banning such a precious jewel as Dorje Shugden ? It is really difficult to comprehend the logic of the ban ! The ban should be removed and allow all to practice freely to overcome the numerous endless mundane problems.

[Matibhadra]

The ridiculous anti-China hatred propaganda-report from the ”Human Rights Watch” was precisely timed to deviate international attention from the huge demonstrations held today in more than 40 US cities against the inhumane mass deportations perpetrated by the US, more than 2 million exiles being forcibly deported only under Obama's administration, not to mention the systematic murdering or imprisonment of thousand of Latino exiles.


Demonstrations held in 40 US cities against deportations

Protesters at an immigration reform demonstration in the United States.
Sat Apr 5, 2014 11:15PM GMT

A large number of immigration advocates and activists have held demonstrations across the United States, demanding President Barack Obama stop deportations, which have surpassed two million under his administration.

Saturday's marches, vigils and demonstrations were held in more than 40 American cities, the Associated Press reported.

Organizers of the national "Day of Action" initiative said Obama has the executive power to put a freeze on deportations that is separating undocumented immigrants from their loved ones.

In the city of Eloy in Arizona, a number of activists and protesters traveled more than 96 kilometers (60 miles) from Phoenix to gather in front of a federal detention center.

According to organizers, many of the protesters’ relatives have been held inside the prison for over a year. [...]

In an interview with Press TV last year, Abayomi Azikiwe, political editor at Pan-African News Wire, said that the US immigration laws are “punitive.”
 
The laws are set up in a way “that Homeland Security forces, through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are able to violate basic, fundamental norms of human rights and civility inside the United States,” Azikiwe said.
 
The American “people have no idea that they are being targeted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” he stated.
 
Azikiwe also said that immigrants in the US “are heavily exploited” in the workplace.

http://presstv.com/detail/2014/04/05/357352/deportations-demos-held-in-40-us-cities/

[dharmacrazy79]

What struck me most is how little we have progressed in humanity despite the technological advancement, medical enhancement and accumulation of wealth throughout the centuries. We still cannot practice kindness. In fact the "older generation" would say that societies have become less kind than during their times. Personally, the danger of our lack of kindness is in our ability to better package our decisions that cause direct harm and suffering to another fellow human being.

Whether we look at China's case with Tibetans or America's case of deportations, we need to wipe away our fears that harsh decisions and damaging consequences. We need to practice empathy before finding the most convenient solution because the inconvenient truth is that we want to change status quo because it no longer serves the selfish tricks we have up our sleeves.

No one complained when legal and illegal immigrants became abundant and eager cheap labor for American homes and companies that contributes to positive Gross Domestic Productivity....Nobody cared about the Tibetans in exile as long as the Chinese government had control over the land of Tibet and reformed those that remained. However, now, the children of immigrants threaten the comforts of the Americans in job markets and are beginning to demand for greater equality. Similarly, the Tibetan's cause is getting more support and attention in a manner the disgraces the Chinese authorities. So, how should these problems be resolved? Get rid of them.

I am not saying the illegal immigrants should not be deported but that their cases should be handled with more kindness. I am not saying that Nepal should expose China to harm from "dangerous Tibetans" but that Tibetans should only be labeled as dangerous with reliable evidence.

We should not treat others with such disregard to the final consequence that will ultimately and directly impact us based on the law of karma (cause and effect). As our wise elders have taught us "what goes around, comes around".

The havoc of inner disharmony, unhappiness and purposelessness the modern society suffer all over the world is the consequence of some decisions made by our forefathers that caused a certain collective karma. Our decisions today can change it to the better by making kinder and wiser decisions.

 

[brian]

it does bother me quite a lot because the fact political being mixed with humanitarian. Why is it that Tibetans were being punished in this way? Refugees are human too. They have their own rights too, why on earth that they can be treated in such a way? Why all is happening in this way and it is not fair for China to come in this sort of way adding pressure to India to limit the influx of Tibetan exiles.

[Matibhadra]

it does bother me quite a lot because the fact political being mixed with humanitarian. Why is it that Tibetans were being punished in this way?

People claim to be ”bothered” when the media tell them to be bothered, as is the case with Tibetans. If such people were genuinely bothered, and not just remote-controlled by the media, they would first and foremost bother about those exiles in front of their own noses, but about whom the media does not care, such as those millions of exiles living and dying in the most inhuman, degrading conditions in Australia or US.

[grandmapele]

Generally, in this age of technological advancement, human being are cut off emotionally as things are done by 'remote control'. As more and more countries try control their borders, more atrocities will appear. Also, keep in the fact that we hear more nowadays because of the rapid dissemination of news. Bear in mind too that not all refugees behave nor all head of state are heartless.

But, behind it all, we do have to remind the powers that be that we are all human subject to the same emotions. Being cynical, sarcastic and angry does not get anyone anywhere. A little kindness and compassion will get more leverage, hopefully.

Remember the great personalities of history who advocated non-violence - Gandhi and Martin Luther King for example. Objectives were achieved at great sacrifice but with less damage to the population and country. Has history not taught us anything? Has all the religions of the world not taught their flock anything?

[Matibhadra]

Remember the great personalities of history who advocated non-violence - Gandhi and Martin Luther King for example.

Martin Luther King was a vocal supporter of the racist, supremacist, brutally violent entity of ”Israel”. As with the evil dalai, just one more myth to feed the populace.

[Big Uncle]

The so-called ”Human Rights Watch” is a known arm or Western anti-humanity war propaganda.They are so much concerned with China and Nepal, but will never say one word about the thousands of Mexican and other Latino exiles brutally murdered, imprisoned, and deported trying to enter US, or about the thousands of Indonesian exiles facing the hell of Australian concentration camps.

Good point. America is more interested in the Sino-Tibetan/Nepalese issue because it is related to China and is a political tool to keep China in check. However, Chinese purse-strings overwhelms all attempts at Human Rights watch. Unfortunately for America, all real human rights watch is rendered impotent by the aforementioned. It is really sad for these human rights organisations for being biased in its representation in other less glamorous places.
 

[Klein]

What struck me most is how little we have progressed in humanity despite the technological advancement, medical enhancement and accumulation of wealth throughout the centuries. We still cannot practice kindness. In fact the "older generation" would say that societies have become less kind than during their times. Personally, the danger of our lack of kindness is in our ability to better package our decisions that cause direct harm and suffering to another fellow human being.

Whether we look at China's case with Tibetans or America's case of deportations, we need to wipe away our fears that harsh decisions and damaging consequences. We need to practice empathy before finding the most convenient solution because the inconvenient truth is that we want to change status quo because it no longer serves the selfish tricks we have up our sleeves.

No one complained when legal and illegal immigrants became abundant and eager cheap labor for American homes and companies that contributes to positive Gross Domestic Productivity....Nobody cared about the Tibetans in exile as long as the Chinese government had control over the land of Tibet and reformed those that remained. However, now, the children of immigrants threaten the comforts of the Americans in job markets and are beginning to demand for greater equality. Similarly, the Tibetan's cause is getting more support and attention in a manner the disgraces the Chinese authorities. So, how should these problems be resolved? Get rid of them.

I am not saying the illegal immigrants should not be deported but that their cases should be handled with more kindness. I am not saying that Nepal should expose China to harm from "dangerous Tibetans" but that Tibetans should only be labeled as dangerous with reliable evidence.

We should not treat others with such disregard to the final consequence that will ultimately and directly impact us based on the law of karma (cause and effect). As our wise elders have taught us "what goes around, comes around".

The havoc of inner disharmony, unhappiness and purposelessness the modern society suffer all over the world is the consequence of some decisions made by our forefathers that caused a certain collective karma. Our decisions today can change it to the better by making kinder and wiser decisions.

I agree with dharmacrazy79. All these human rights campaigns are unfortunately tainted with personal agendas. The world leaders must realize that we live in an age where information is easily accessible. Everything is becoming more transparent.

I believe for the group of "elite" who are exploiting the human population and our planet to wake up, mother nature has to do something catastrophic. These group of elite are living in the "god's realm" where they have a false sense of invincibility and power.

Buddha has already predicted the age of degeneration. During the last 500 years before Maitreya appears, there will be an age of darkness where no one practices Buddhism.  There will not be any morals or ethics during this time.

It is imperative for us to spread Buddhism with our actions and not just words with as many people as possible. Start planting the seeds of Enlightenment into other's mind streams. We, ourselves, should take our practice more seriously and go all the way with it for the sake of our own salvation and others.