13 arrested, one injured in Nepal protests/ENG

2012. február 27./Phayul.com/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA, February 27: A group of young Tibetans took out a street protest outside the United Nations office in Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu Friday appealing for intervention in the ongoing crisis in Tibet.

13 Tibetan, mostly students, were arrested while one is being described as seriously injured in the protests that coincided with the third day of the Tibetan new year.

In a memorandum, the Tibetans appealed the UN to send a fact-finding delegation to Tibet. Since 2009, 23 Tibetans have torched their bodies demanding the return of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom in Tibet.

“With this rightful street protest we urge the UN to pressurise the Chinese authorities to stop killing peaceful protesters in Tibet,” local media reports quoted the Tibetans youngsters as saying.

Mass protests in recent weeks in eastern Tibet had turned bloody after Chinese security personnel opened fire on unarmed Tibetans, killing and wounding scores of demonstrators.

The Nepal government, which officially follows the one-China policy, last month received Chinese premiere Wen Jiabao on an official visit.

During his short stay, Wen had announced over $100 million in aid to Nepal while signing agreements on infrastructural developments and providing “economic and technical assistance and strengthen Nepal's police”.

In a joint statement issued by the two sides after the meeting, Nepal had renewed its commitment to one-China policy while re-affirming that it will not allow anti-China activities on its soil.

“The Nepalese side reiterated that there is only one China in the world, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China,” the statement read.

“Both Taiwan and Tibet are integral parts of the Chinese territory”.

The statement went on to say the Nepalese side “does not allow any forces to use Nepalese territory for any anti-China or separatist activities” while noting the Chinese “highly appreciated the position of the Nepalese side”.

Nepal, which is home to a large number of Tibetan refugees, has severely clamped down on the freedom and rights of the Tibetans, even shutting down their main representative office in the capital.

Interestingly, when Nepal applied for membership to the UN in 1949, it cited its treaty and diplomatic relations with Tibet to demonstrate its full international personality.