Dharamshala, March 23 – The current session of the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies held a heated discussion yesterday on the US Administration’s programme to allow Tibetan refugees without documents in Nepal to migrate to US.
At the last session in September 2005, Kalon Tripa said that those Tibetans who participated in the voluntary force and their immediate family members and those who were in Nepal before year 2000 and who are without any documents and who are particularly vulnerable would be selected for the immigration programme for refugees.
Kalon Tripa mentioned about the US Administration’s letter along with a draft timetable according to which the criteria for the selection of candidates would be formulated by October and December 2005 and in January 2006 a committee incharge of the selection would be established in Nepal.
Recounting those remarks, a deputy asked Kalon Tripa as how far these plans have been put into practise.
Kalon Tripa said since the Nepal government is not cooperating with the US Administration, the plan is delayed and the future of this plan is uncertain. Yet, it will not be withdrawn since it was approved by the US Congress. Sooner or later the programme will be executed.
Meanwhile he said that there is no such organisation or committee established by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to enlist names of candidates for this programme. The CTA will issue an announcement when the time comes to collect the names, Kalon Tripa said.
Answering another deputy who asked whether this programme would take refugees from India if the Nepal government keep impeding its execution, Kalon Tripa said that there is no need to rehabilitate Tibetan refugees in India in this programme as they are not vulnerable as the Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.)
