DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

DANGEROUS CROSSINGS: CONDITIONS IMPACTING THE FLIGHT OF TIBETAN REFUGEES, 2011
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bassies in Kathmandu, and Nepali civil society to respect international protection
and human rights norms. The decision to cut-off Tibetan refugee intake
in 1989 has reverberations still, especially for the thousands of Tibetans in
Nepal who lack legal status. The end of the registration of Tibetan refugees
ushered in a period where the relative freedom and security of Tibetans in
Nepal could be politically manipulated – by both the Nepali and Chinese governments.
During the 1960s, the Office of the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, and the Tibetan Welfare Office were established in Kathmandu to
provide important welfare and community services to Tibetan refugees, and
to liaise with the Nepal government and international humanitarian organizations
that were providing assistance at this critical time. These offices continued
to serve the Tibetan community in Nepal until 2005 when they were
closed on the orders of King Gyanendra. The Nepal authorities explained the
closures as the result of registration infractions, specifically because the office
registrations were not held by Nepali citizens, as required by law. In reality,
King Gyanendra had just dismissed the democratic government of Nepal and
usurped power, an act widely condemned by the international community,
except by China that maintained that Gyanendra had acted within his sovereign
rights. It is widely believed that Gyanendra closed the Tibet offices in
return for China’s expressed support.
The UNHCR and several foreign embassies in Kathmandu urged the government
of Nepal to register an alternative Tibetan office to meet the critical
ongoing needs of both the long-staying and newly-arrived Tibetan refugees.
In June 2006, after months of appeals by the UNHCR and foreign diplomats,
and reviews and machinations by the Nepali bureaucracy, the Nepal Home
Ministry registered the Bhota Welfare Society for this purpose. Despite meeting
all the criteria for registration, the Nepal Foreign Ministry summarily instructed
its de-registration the following November. Efforts continue to serve
the Tibetan refugee community through various means, and a kind of informal
Tibetan office operates in Kathmandu. However, absent the official mandate
and stature held by the Representative Office and the Tibetan Welfare
Office, many Tibetans feel exposed and disenfranchised. The lack of refugee
documentation for thousands of Tibetans in Nepal adds to this sense of vulnerability.
1) Refugee Cards
Mr/Ms ____ is a Tibetan refugee. He/she is permitted to stay in
Nepal in accordance with laws and regulations. He/she will enjoy