DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET
Nonetheless, beginning in the early morning, around 3:00 a.m. on March 10, over
1,000 police were deployed, with hundreds gathering around Tibetan community
centers and monasteries in order to prevent Tibetans from attending a gathering
marking the event at Samtenling monastery. Police were even stationed at the gates
of several Tibetan schools in order to prevent students from attending the demonstrations.
Nepal police can be seen kicking and beating unarmed Tibetan demonstrators who
took to the streets in video posted on Euronews.net 16 and on the website of the
UK’s Telegraph newspaper. 17 The Telegraph cited local media reports that at least 15
people were detained and 20 injured in the day’s altercations. A Tibetan residing in
Kathmandu told ICT that the environment was “tense,” adding that “people were
incredibly nervous; it was terrifying.” In an additional incident, several Tibetans, including
a monk, were witnessed being beaten severely by Nepali people, not police,
near the Boudha stupa. Later in the morning of March 10, police interrupted the
traditional reading of the Dalai Lama’s annual March 10 statement to the Tibetan
people 18 in an effort to put an end to the event. Police withdrew only after repeated
requests by local human rights monitors.
In addition to the restrictive measures implemented in Kathmandu, in a meeting between
Chinese and Nepalese security officials held prior to March 10 on the Nepalese
side of the border in Khasa, Chinese officials requested that Tibetans be banned
from entering Nepal out of fear that they would openly celebrate the anniversary of
the Dalai Lama’s flight into exile. 19 Despite telling the Nepali media that “no decision
was taken at the meeting” by the Nepalese officials, Chief District Officer Bishnu
Kumar Karki, who attended the meeting, reportedly told his Chinese counterparts
that ‘anti-China activities’ would not be tolerated. He added that Chinese security
officials meet annually with Nepalese officials in February-March in order to request
that the Nepalese officials prevent Tibetans from participating in ‘anti-China activities’
on the Nepal side of the border. 20
Not long after March 10, Beijing announced that it would be recalling China’s Ambassador
to Nepal, Qiu Guohong. 21 Quoting “informed sources,” The Kathmandu
Post reported that the reason for the recall was partly due to “protocol” issues
between Qiu and the Defense Attaché at the Chinese Embassy, Colonel Cheng
Xizhong, related to Cheng’s more senior standing in the Chinese Communist Party.
Moreover, the sources said: “the Colonel was more assertive than ambassador Qiu,
when it came to dealing with Tibetan issues and Beijing’s core concerns in Nepal,”
adding that Beijing viewed Qiu as “weak,” and not capable enough in dealing with
Beijing’s core issues with Nepal, i.e., Tibetan issues. 22 (China would announce in
May that Yang Houlan as Ambassador to Nepal, its most senior ranking official to-
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