DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

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DANGEROUS CROSSINGS: CONDITIONS IMPACTING THE FLIGHT OF TIBETAN REFUGEES, 2011 6 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-
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET “For the elder generation it is very difficult to adjust to a new environment [in Nepal]; losing their identity, culture and lifestyle. From being a nomad living without neighbors, living freely [in Tibet], now living in a small settlement [in Nepal], life is very difficult. If the children have a good income and can support the family, that would bring less worries to their parents. But [because this isn’t usually possible] mentally there is no way to support.” (Photo: ICT) al scrutiny intensified and the Tibetan plateau erupted with demonstrations. Since then, Nepal has become a part of China’s strategic imperative to maintain and enforce political ‘stability’ in Tibet. Although Chinese police and security forces put down the protests, their scale is a testament to the level of unrest and depth of grievances among Tibetans across Tibet. Events since 2008 have compounded China’s fear of instability and loss of control. Since February 2009, dissent in Tibet has taken on a new form – Tibetan self-immolations. 2 China responded to the widespread but overwhelmingly peaceful protests that rocked Tibet in 2008 by framing them as violent riots, thus attempting to justify a clampdown that would build up and deepen its security and military presence in Tibet. Today a highly technical state surveillance system monitors Tibetans’ everyday lives and significantly limits their freedoms of movement, expression, and religion. 7
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Page 33 and 34: INFLUENCES AND ISSUES INTERNATIONAL
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and in private for someone who lost
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24 ‘Nepalese police seize ballot
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224 Information from ICT source. 22
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DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

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