DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET
spite this, it is they who are called upon to ensure day-to-day security.
The APF was established during the conflict to support the Nepal police.
They have never been disbanded and are drafted in to supply back-up
during protests and other higher risk occasions, but they cannot make
arrests. The APF are also deployed to the Nepal-Tibet border and thus
China’s pressure on Nepal is likely to be a factor in the force’s continuing
existence. China is no doubt aware that these two police forces are key
to enforcing Nepal’s much-repeated promise to prevent any ‘anti-Chi
na’ activities occurring on Nepali soil, as well as to stem the flow of
Tibetan refugees across the border.
In 2009, shortly after the visit of a high-level Chinese delegation to
Kathmandu, the Nepal Home Ministry announced the deployment of
APF personnel in the border areas, saying that this was at the request
of the Chinese government. 122 According to nepalnews.com, it was the
first time that a fully-fledged border security force had been installed
along the border, and security bases were to be established at Tatopani
in Sindhupalchok, Lomanthang in Mustang, Kimathanka in Sankhu
wasabha, Limi in Humla and Tinker in Darchula during the first phase.
Each base would have an APF squad under the command of a Superin-
tendent of Police (SP). 123
On July 26, 2010, the first “Nepal-China Border Security and Law En-
forcement Talks” concluded with a pledge from Beijing for an annual
aid package to enhance Nepal’s handling of ‘anti-China’ activities. As
part of this, Beijing and Kathmandu agreed specifically to establish
high-level intelligence sharing capabilities targeting ‘anti-China’ activi-
ties and border management. Such aid has in the past seen China kit
out the Nepal police with riot gear, tear gas tankers and batons – de-
livered with Tibetan protesters in mind, used by the Nepal police during
times of unrest. This was followed by a two week training provided in
Beijing to officials from the Nepal police, the APF and local authorities
from the areas bordering Tibet. 124
The relatively new focus on sharing intelligence suggests that Nepali
security forces are also at pains to deliver on information. This in turn
creates added pressure on Tibetans living in Nepal, who are aware that
over the past few years their lives have been increasingly monitored and
intervened in by the Nepal state. A Tibetan settlement leader
from Pokhara shared this with ICT: “In March 2009, the CDO office called
me to demand a CD with the list of names of all Tibetans living in the
49