Ban Follows Nepal’s Deportation of Tibetan Refugees in Late May
In an alarming crackdown on the rights of Tibetans living in Nepal, the Nepalese government yesterday banned all events celebrating the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, who turns sixty-eight on Sunday. The ban on the celebrations has caused grave concern among Tibetans in Nepal, as well as the international Tibetan exile and support communities.
“While Tibetans around Australia are celebrating the Dalai Lama’s birthday with cultural events, film festivals and special dinners, their brothers and sisters in Nepal are being denied the right to do similar. This ban, coming after the recent deportation of Tibetan refugees, is a serious concern,” said Paul Bourke, Executive Officer of Australia Tibet Council. “The Nepalese government should respect the rights of Tibetans living in Nepal to uphold their cultural traditions.”
Chief Superintendent of Police for the Kathmandu Valley, Kubi Rana announced the ban on the evening of July 4. He told Wangchuk Tsering, the Dalai Lama’s representative in Nepal, that he was issuing the ban “on orders from the Home Ministry.” Other sources, who wish to remain anonymous, said that the Home Ministry was acting on direct instructions from the office of the Prime Minister. Last week, the Chief District Officer of the Kathmandu Valley had granted formal permission for the events to take place, issuing written instructions to the Boudha police on June 26 to allow the ceremonies to go ahead as usual, according to Mr. Tsering.
The ban explicitly covers Buddhist prayers and incense offerings normally carried out at Boudha stupa on July 6 every year, as well as official events and receptions organized by the Tibetan community in Nepal. Three traditional events were planned for Sunday – a public procession and prayers, a gathering at a Tibetan school, and an evening reception at a Kathmandu hotel. The events are predominantly cultural and religious, rather than political. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has never been allowed to travel to Nepal, and in recent years, prominently displaying his picture during the public procession on his birthday has been forbidden. However, this is the first time that the Nepalese government has banned the collective prayer ceremonies and procession.
“If they allow no public gathering, this is really a very serious development,” said one junior Tibetan official from Kathmandu, who asked not to be named. “The Dalai Lama’s birthday is very important, and I don’t know how Tibetan people can bear it if they can’t celebrate it. They might go ahead and celebrate it whatever they are told, otherwise it will be like in China.”
Every year, thousands of Tibetan refugees make the arduous journey from Chinese-occupied Tibet over the Himalayas to Nepal, seeking a safe haven from political and religious persecution. Most of the refugees continue on to India, where the Dalai Lama’s exile government is based. Recently, the Nepalese government has placed harsh restrictions on the rights of Tibetan refugees in Nepal. Just over a month ago, Nepal forcibly deported 18 Tibetan refugees back to Tibet, where they are now in the custody of Chinese police.
Contacts: Paul Bourke 0419 420 526
Australia Tibet Council
