DANGEROUS CROSSING: - International Campaign for Tibet

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET
The attack on Tibetan governance in exile, and thus Tibetan refugees’ representation,
continued on October 3, 2010, when Tibetan refugees across
the world voted for a new head of the Tibetan exile government. In all other
countries where Tibetans reside around the world, including India and Bhutan,
the election process proceeded smoothly. But in Nepal, Nepal police in
riot gear seized ballot boxes from three different locations in Kathmandu,
leaving 9,000 Tibetans disenfranchised from the election process. 216 In justification
of their actions, the Nepal Police claimed that the elections were “anti-
Chinese.” Indicative of the close relationship between China and the Nepal
Police, claims were made that the Nepal Police officers had acted without
orders from the Prime Minister, Home Minister or indeed anyone in government.
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On receiving a threat from the Nepal Police, the Head of one Tibetan settlement
in Kathmandu took drastic measures to protect his settlement’s votes.
“During the elections we received a threatening call [from Nepal Police] warning
us not to carry out the elections. For that reason I made sure the elections
in the settlement were finished on time. When the Nepali police came to confiscate
our ballot boxes, I made sure the boxes were hidden, and I hid as well!
I didn’t tell anybody about the threat and so my staff were protected because
they also didn’t know where I or the boxes were.”
Although the Nepali authorities had basically given permission for the election
to go ahead, according to Tibetan sources in touch with prominent Nepali
rights advocates, the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu had instructed the
Nepal Home Ministry to terminate the election. A Tibetan eyewitness to the
seizure of the ballot boxes said: “This was a terrible day for Tibetans in Nepal.
People felt desperate. Many of the Tibetan elders in the community were crying,
they were not able to do anything as there were so many police and they
were so aggressive.” 218
This act of disenfranchisement of a whole community set a precedent which
allowed further Chinese and Nepali state intrusion into Tibetan refugee organizations.
On February 16, 2011 Nepal police in riot gear again shut down
Tibetan elections in Nepal. This time they were for the leadership of the Tibetan
community group Chushi Gangdruk, which focuses on community
welfare, including that of the now-elderly veterans of the Tibetan resistance
force that battled the Chinese People’s Liberation Army from 1958 until 1974.
Regular elections in the Chushi Gangdruk organization had taken place for
many decades without interruption. A police officer involved in the raid then
told the members of Chushi Gangdruk that Tibetan refugees are not allowed
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