12. Tibetans jailed in Nepal, deportation likely

TCHRD - Tuesday, October 11, 2005

A Tibetan refugee from Tibet, Sonam Tsering, 18, has been jailed in Dilli Bazaar Jail in Kathmandu, Nepal, following his arrest by the police upon arrival in Kathmandu around 7 October 2005. Although the arrestee's native county in Tibet could not be established currently, he is said to belong to Golog (Ch: Guoluo) Tibet Autonomous Prefecture ('TAP'), Qinghai Province. Sonam, who arrived in Kathmandu, holding Tong Xin Zhang (travel permit which allows one to travel till the border), during the night, around 7 October 2005, headed straight to the Swayambunath area in Kathmandu, where he was arrested by the Nepalese police. On 9 October 2005, he was handed over to the Immigration Department of the Nepalese Home Ministry. The Immigration Department imposed a monetary penalty of Nepalese Rupees 27,000/- (Approx USD 375) or an imprisonment term of three years. Since, Sonam failed to pay the penalty, he was subsequently sentenced to three years term in Dilli Bazaar Jail in Kathmandu, Nepal. Earlier, another Tibetan exile returnee, Norbu Tsering, 25, was arrested on 24 September 2005 at the Nepal-Tibet border while on his way back to his native village in Kyidong (Ch: Jilong Xian) County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region ("TAR"). After being handed over to the Nepalese Immigration Department on 28 September 2005, he was imposed a similar monetary penalty of Nepalese Rupees 28, 651/- which he failed to pay and consequently was sentenced to three years' and three months imprisonment term. Both Sonam Tsering and Norbu Tsering are currently imprisoned in Dilli Bazaar Jail. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) based in Kathmandu has been approached; however, due to the ongoing three-day Dasain national holiday in Nepal, their status or hopes of release could not be ascertained. On 31 May 2003, Nepal deported 18 Tibetan refugees to Tibet under pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal despite massive international appeal. TCHRD is gravely concerned about the two Tibetans who might face a similar fate. The Centre calls upon the international community to help secure the release of the two Tibetans.