Chinese authorities have again denied lawyers for imprisoned Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk permission to visit their client in Dongchuan Prison, Xining City, Qinghai Province.
Wangchuk had been sentenced to five years in prison in May 2018 for allegedly ‘inciting separatism’ because he criticised Chinese policies and practices on Tibetan language and culture. He did not accept the verdict and decided to appeal.
On 11 September 2011, 20 Tibetan refugees were arrested by Nepal police for illegally entering Nepal. The 20 Tibetan escapees included 15 boys and 5 girls, mostly teenagers. They were arrested for illegally trying to enter Delhi via Bajura-Kathmandu route and were held in Bajura, at the district police office. They had reached there after 17 days walk. Few days later, around 13 September, three more Tibetans were arrested. All of them have been turned over to Nepal’s Department of Immigration (DOI) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had sent a letter to the Nepalese Administration requesting them to hand the Tibetans over to them which is accordance with the ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ between the UNHCR and Nepal. Even the HURON (Human Rights Organization of Nepal) approached the Immigrant Chief and Home Secretary with concerns for the arrested Tibetans and said that decision will be taken in accordance with the law by Sunday. However, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, in a letter, termed the incident as a case of Human Trafficking and so has asked the Nepal Government to repatriate the Tibetans back to them, promising not to take legal action against the youngsters but instead will educate them. This Chinese interference has delayed transit clearance of the 23 Tibetan refugees who remains in Nepal custody for the last 10-12 days.