Authorities started targeting specific Tibetan individual leaders
By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent
Kathmandu, March 18 – Nepal Police today arrested 58 Tibetan protestors in front of the UN House at Pulchowk at around 12.30 AM again as Police continue to suppress peaceful demonstrations by Tibetans in Kathmandu for the 8th consecutive day since beginning from the 10th of March to protest against Chinese occupation of Tibet and the recent killing of Tibetans inside Tibet. All the detainees were freed at around 6 PM. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have been observing the demonstrations and visiting the detainees for the last few days.
Nepali authorities have now started targeting individual Tibetan community leaders here in Nepal. In a separate incident, a simple Tibetan monk and his friend who have been voluntarily taking part and leading demonstrations and vigils since the 10th of March have been summoned by the Kathmandu Chief District Officer (CDO) and was forced to sign a statement that he would not take part in future demonstrations, the monk told Phayul. The monk does not belong to any particular Tibetan organization. A reliable source confirmed Phayul that the CDO did acknowledge that two Tibetans have been summoned for investigation.
Today there were only about hundred protestors who came to hand over a memorandum to the UN House but Nepali Police who were already there did not allow Tibetans to even go near the UN House. Even though they pleaded repeatedly but Police did not listen and arrested almost everyone present there and took them away in vans and trucks. Five local Nepali belonging to different organizations including a party member of the ruling Nepali Congress have come in support of the Tibetans to submit a memorandum to Ian Martin, UN’s highest official in Nepal.
The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress and the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association have jointly organized a 24 hour hunger strike at the ground of Jwalakhel Tibetan Settlement. Over 200 people have joined the hunger strike demanding ‘Peace and freedom for Tibet’ and ‘No Human Rights – No Olympics in China’. 11 other Tibetans who have been on hunger strike since 16th March have also joined the mass hunger strike and wish to continue until their demands are met.
Yesterday Nepali Police arrested and freed 53 Tibetan protestors; Police used tear gas to disperse the protestors. So far the Nepali Government has not issued an official statement about the deaths in Tibet or the repression on Tibetans here in Nepal. Neither has the National Human Rights Commission commented or come to observe these demonstrations and Police repression.
