By Jeff Greenwald
Last week, a posse of mountaineers and heads-of-state gathered in Kathmandu for the 50th anniversary of a great triumph: the first ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. It was an opportunity for the Kingdom of Nepal — struggling to emerge from the shadows of political chaos and a Maoist insurgency — to take pride in its history.
In typical fashion, however, the Nepalese government fumbled. Just three days after the celebration, authorities committed a reprehensible act — snatching disgrace from the hands of victory.
The story began in April, when a group of 21 Tibetan refugees was arrested after fleeing their occupied homeland toward the traditional safety of Nepal. Since China’s invasion of Tibet in the 1950s, thousands of Tibetans have crossed the Himalayas, seeking freedom in Nepal and India. It’s an agonizing journey that can take months, hiding by day and attempting snowbound passes by night. But the reward is enormous: safe passage to thriving refugee communities in India, and a personal welcome from the Dalai Lama.
These refugees were not so lucky. On May 31, 18 of the 21 were literally sold to Chinese authorities by the Nepalese government. (The other three, all younger than 10, were released into the custody of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees). They were then shackled, loaded into a bus and driven back into occupied Tibet. The fate of these refugees will be impossible to monitor, but they assuredly face abuse, imprisonment and a lifetime of oppression.
Nepalese officials claim that what they have done follows their customary procedure of treating each refugee case on its own merits. This is blatantly false. In the past, local Nepalese authorities have repatriated some Tibetan refugees in return for modest bribes from the Chinese. This situation is chillingly different. The refugees deported on Sunday had been unable to pay the modest “illegal entry” fines imposed by Nepal’s immigration department. These fees are typically paid by human rights groups or private individuals. In this case, the Chinese stepped in first — apparently buying back the prisoners, for a total of $1,713, according to the International Campaign for Tibet.
There are at least 20,000 Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. Though the Nepalese have kowtowed to political and economic pressure from China in the past — monitoring Tibetan freedom demonstrations and curbing some celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s July 6 birthday — this is the first time they have baldly repatriated innocent refugees into Chinese hands.
Wangchuk Tsering, the Dalai Lama’s representative in Kathmandu, expressed deep concern. “The way the Chinese and Nepalese authorities have been working on this case together is unprecedented, and makes us fear for the future of Tibetans in Nepal,” he told the World Tibet News. “It indicates the level of Chinese influence in Nepal.”
Landlocked Nepal is in a delicate position with China, its powerful neighbor to the north. Nonetheless, its action violates a central principle of international refugee law. Established by international treaty following the deadly repatriations committed during World War II, the principle — “non- refoulement” (i.e., “non return”) — obliges nations not to send refugees back to a place where their lives or freedom will be threatened. Nepal has ignored this convention, and its assertions to the contrary are not persuasive.
What can we do? The Berkeley-based Tibet Justice Center (www.tibetjustice.org), along with Ethical Traveler, offer a suggestion: One of our most persuasive diplomatic weapons as individuals, though we rarely exploit it, is our ability to withhold our tourism dollars from oppressive regimes. A popular boycott of travel to Nepal will send a strong message to the kingdom’s officials, who draw huge profits from climbing expedition and visa fees. This boycott must be maintained until Nepal issues an apology to the Tibetan community, and an assurance that such a shameful lapse in human decency will not occur again.
It is ironic that this boycott should take place now, 50 years after runners carried word of Norgay and Hillary’s monumental achievement from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu. But the fate of 18 innocent refugees cannot be eclipsed by pomp and ceremony. It is crucial that we honor human virtue and courage in the best way possible — by compelling Nepal’s authorities to answer for their actions.
Jeff Greenwald, the Oakland-based author of five travel books, is executive director of Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.com).
