By Phayul Stringer
Kathmandu, August 17: Security has been beefed up around Tibetan settlement areas across the Nepali capital following the visit of a high-level Chinese delegation led by Zhou Yongkang.
Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC arrived on an Air China plane Tuesday morning.
The visit by the ninth-ranked official of the powerful standing committee comes at a time when China is repeatedly expressing its growing concerns over their security interest in Nepal.
Yongkang is the highest Chinese official to visit Nepal after the restoration of democracy in the country.
On Monday, a day before the Chinese delegation’s arrival, local Nepali officials called upon the Voluntary Co-ordinator of Tibetan Welfare Office, Thinlay Lama to ensure that there would be no forms of protest from the Tibetan community during the visit.
In a show of strength, Nepal Police arrested five Tibetans in Kathmandu – Sonam Tashi (40), Tseten Dorji (52), Kelsang Tashi (27), Tsering Choesang (37) and Lomba Dhundup (39) on Monday evening from a restaurant.
The Boudha Police Station confirmed the arrests and said the five are being kept under preventive detention.
Sonam Tashi was released Tuesday morning after the death of his mother on Monday night.
The random arrests continued today with police detaining three more Tibetans from different locations in the capital.
Ngodup Lobsang was arrested from Boudha while police nabbed Tsewang Palmo, an employee of Jawlakhel Handicraft Centre. Police told onlookers they were taking her for questioning as she was “wearing Bakhu (Chupa)”.
However, witnesses say Palmo was detained as she resembled Tsewang Dolma the president of the regional chapter of Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC).
Another Tibetan, Dhundup was also arrested from his office at Nakhu. Sources say the police confused his identity with another Tibetan man who is a member of TYC.
Both Palmo and Dhundup were released later in the afternoon after spending few hours in detention at the local police station in Jawlakhel.
Visits of high-level Chinese officials have increased in recent times. Only four months back, Chinese Army Chief Chen Bingde visited Nepal along with a group of senior army officials.
Zhou Yongkang and his 60-member team met with Chairman of UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepal Congress President Sushil Koirala on Tuesday.
Zhou is scheduled to meet President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and now resigned Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal on Wednesday.
The delegation which comprises of four dozen top Chinese officials is on a three day visit to the country.
Speaking to Phayul, spokesperson for the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration, Mr Thubten Samphel said that the visit was a part of China’s efforts to curtail Tibetan activities in Nepal.
“Whether it is invited by Nepali government or China’s voluntary visit, the issue is Tibet,” said Samphel.
With inputs from Tendar Tsering.
