Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




SUPERPOWERS
Nepal accused of succumbing to China pressure on Tibetans
by Staff Writers
Kathmandu (AFP) April 01, 2014


Tibetans in Nepal face heightened risks of being detained, beaten and even forcibly returned to China, as Kathmandu bows to growing diplomatic pressure from Beijing, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

The allegations, detailed in a new report based on the testimony of Tibetan refugees, monks, activists and senior Nepalese officials, highlight the intensified restrictions slapped on Tibetans in the Himalayan nation since 2008.

Nepal, home to around 20,000 Tibetans, is under huge pressure from its giant neighbour China over the exiles, and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate what it calls "anti-China activities".

"Nepal... is succumbing to Chinese pressure to limit the flow of Tibetans across the border and imposing restrictions on Tibetans in violation of its legal obligations," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Tibetans face a de facto ban on protests, increased surveillance and even reported attempts to force escapees back to China in contravention of Kathmandu's agreement with the UN's refugee agency, the report said.

In one instance, a former home ministry official told the rights group that local border police sent back Tibetans found in the border regions if they believed they were not "legitimate refugees".

Shankar Prasad Koirala, spokesperson for Nepal's home ministry, dismissed the claims, telling AFP: "There have been no forceful deportations, we have no such policy".

He added: "Nepal does not mistreat Tibetans... but the government will not tolerate any group acting in a hostile way towards a neighbouring country."

Although Nepal is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, it operates a "Gentleman's Agreement" with the UN under which it guarantees Tibetans in transit safe passage to India, where they can obtain refugee status.

Nini Gurung, spokesperson for the UN's refugee agency in Kathmandu said that "the report raises some very serious concerns ... but we are not in a position to confirm these reported instances of refugees being sent back by Nepal to China."

As Beijing and Kathmandu have tightened border restrictions, the number of exiles arriving in Nepal dropped to a record low of 171 in 2013, down from more than 2,000 in 2007.

.


Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





SUPERPOWERS
Ukraine says 100,000 Russian troops near border
Washington (AFP) March 27, 2014
Nearly 100,000 Russian forces have massed on Ukraine's border, a top Ukrainian defense official told an American audience Thursday, giving a number far higher than US military estimates. "Almost 100,000 soldiers are stationed on the borders of Ukraine and in the direction ... of Kharkiv, Donetsk, " Andriy Parubiy, chairman of Ukraine's national security council, said via a webcast from Kiev. ... read more


SUPERPOWERS
Unique camera from NASA's moon missions sold at auction

Expeditions to the Moon: beware of meteorites

A Wet Moon

ASU camera creates stunning mosaic of moon's polar region

SUPERPOWERS
Cleaner NASA Rover Sees Its Shadow in Martian Spring

Mars-mimicking chamber explores habitability of other planets

Helpful Wind Cleans Solar Panels On Opportunity Mars Rover

NASA Mars Rover's Next Stop Has Sandstone Variations

SUPERPOWERS
You've got mail: Clinton-to-space laptop up for auction

The NASA Z-2 Spacesuit Design Vote

E3-production - sustainable manufacturing

NASA Seeks Collaborative Partnerships With Commercial Space

SUPERPOWERS
Tiangong's New Mission

"Space Odyssey": China's aspiration in future space exploration

China to launch first "space shuttle bus" this year

China expects to launch cargo ship into space around 2016

SUPERPOWERS
Soyuz Docking Delayed Till Thursday as Station Crew Adjusts Schedule

US, Russian astronauts take new trajectory to dock the ISS

Software glitch most probable cause of Soyuz TMA-12 taking two day approach

Technical hitch delays US-Russia crew's ISS docking

SUPERPOWERS
Arianespace's seventh Soyuz mission from French Guiana is readied for liftoff next week

NASA Seeks Suborbital Flight Proposals

Arianespace Launches ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A

SpaceX Launch to the ISS Reset for March 30

SUPERPOWERS
Lick's Automated Planet Finder: First robotic telescope for planet hunters

Space Sunflower May Help Snap Pictures of Planets

NRL Researchers Detect Water Around a Hot Jupiter

UK joins the planet hunt with Europe's PLATO mission

SUPERPOWERS
Saab continues support of military simulation system

Intel bets big on cloud, with stake in Cloudera

Happily surprised? Sadly angry? Computer tags emotions

Big Data keeps complex production running smoothly




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.