Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the Deportation of 18 Tibetan Asylum Seekers from Nepal to China
The EU is seriously concerned over the recent decision by His Majesty’s Government of Nepal to forcefully return 18 Tibetan asylum seekers that also included eight minor, while access to them by UNHCR was denied, clearly violates humanitarian principles and contravenes international law.
The EU expresses its regrets over the fact that repeated appeals by the EU Missions in Kathmandu to release the asylum seekers from prison and to process them in accordance with established practice and in cooperation with UNHCR were ignored by HMG without offering any explanation or justification for the harsh measures now taken against this group.
Respect for international norms and human rights is one of the fundamental pillars of cooperation between the EU and Nepal as it is for all of the EU’s development partners.
The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration.
