DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

DANGEROUS CROSSINGS: CONDITIONS IMPACTING THE FLIGHT OF TIBETAN REFUGEES, 2011
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SUMMARY
The situation for the 20,000 or so long-staying Tibetans in Nepal – many
of whom have lived as refugees in Nepal since the early 1960s – has
worsened dramatically since 2008. During the same period, the dangers
for Tibetans escaping Tibet via Nepal have intensified as China seeks to
close this essential gateway into exile. This report examines the situation
for Tibetans living in and transiting through Nepal. It shows that beyond
the economic and political factors that impact the lives of all in post-conflict
Nepal, Tibetans experience a second tier of challenges brought about by
substantial and increasing Chinese influence on the Nepal state.
Tibetans in Nepal are on the frontline of a high-stakes battle for regional influence
between the two Asian giants, India and China. In 2008, Nepal’s Maoist Prime Minister
Pushpa Kama Dahal (nom de guerre Prachanda), made his first foreign trip
to Beijing, bucking a Delhi-first tradition and opening the flood gates to a steady
stream of official Chinese visitors to Kathmandu. A counter indication of influence
would not be signaled until 2011 when Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai
made his maiden visit to Delhi.
Since the People’s Liberation Army moved into Tibet in 1949, Nepal has taken on
the role of buffer zone between India and China. As the two Asian powers compete
for regional influence, Nepal’s position has become less ‘buffer’ and more battered.
China’s acquired leverage in Nepal is used to control its interests in Tibet and Tibetan
activities in Nepal; India’s influence, based on a traditional, some would say anachronistic,
‘special relationship’ is largely political and party-based, supported by ancient
ties of ethnicity, culture and religion between the Nepali and Indian peoples.
Tibet and Nepal also have a long history of cultural and religious exchange, intermarriage
and trade across the Himalayas. More than ten percent of Nepalis practice
Tibetan Buddhism, and the Hindu majority follows variants of Hinduism that
incorporate many aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. 1 Nepal’s Sherpa people share with
many other Himalayan peoples a devotion to the Dalai Lama. Many Nepalis express
support for the Tibetan struggle, but they too are struggling – against significant
economic, social and political challenges following a decade-long armed conflict
between government forces and Maoist fighters.
Pressure on Nepal to comply with China’s dictates on Tibet is significant given
the resources and promises of much-needed assistance flowing to Nepal
from its northern neighbor. China’s engagement on Tibetan issues in Nepal
was stepped up in Beijing’s 2008 Olympic year, when exposure to internation-