DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET
But while environmental and market issues could perhaps be
overcome, lack of status also plays a part. Tsering Sither, camp
leader of three of Pokhara’s settlements explains: “After our old
tractor broke, we found a sponsor to buy a new one for farming
in Jampaling settlement. We trained a man to be the tractor
driver. He took driving lessons for a few months and sat a driving
test, which he passed. When he went to apply for a driving
license, the license office refused to give him one, saying that
‘Tibetan refugees, even with RCs, are not allowed to apply for
driving licenses.’ That was a dead end for the whole process.” 164
iii. Public sector demands
Tibetans without citizenship or RCs are denied employment with
government-affiliated institutions. In a country where the private
sector is far from stable, there is little job security, and almost
every Tibetan interviewed had a personal story about this. One
interviewee, a young college-educated man from Pokhara, applied
for a job with a national bank but was refused because he
“didn’t have the correct ID.” What makes this more difficult is
the fact that this restriction is not officially stated, leaving room
for local government officials to exploit Tibetans. As a Tibetan
community leader and restaurant owner from the Pokhara area
explains: “We have a doctor. He was born in Nepal, educated at
all levels in Nepal, up to being a medical doctor. His family paid
everything but he is not being given a license to work. They say
he doesn’t have a right to work here. He even paid for his license,
and the government accepted his payment. When youngsters
hear about these things, they give up.”
iv. Private sector dilemmas
Beyond the public sector, “Tibetans without RCs can work in restaurants,
hotels, as a trekking guide or private teacher, but these
are not high paid jobs,” explained Kusang Wangmo, a 33-yearold
Tibetan woman from Pokhara. 165 Such jobs are harder to get
without having the correct identification papers, as Karma Dorjee
of Paljorling, Pokhara, explained: “It is hard in Nepal to get a job,
even in the private sector, since Nepali companies would prefer
Nepali employees with a citizen card.” 166
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