Rights body slams Nepal over Tibetan protests
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New York: The government of Nepal should cease arbitrary arrests and detentions, harassment, and the use of excessive force to silence Tibetan protesters, activists and journalists, Human Rights Watch said today.
Nepal’s government, which came to power after protests against the rule of King Gyanendra, should reaffirm its commitment to freedom of assembly, association, and expression.
Protests in Kathmandu have mounted in reaction to the violent suppression of protests in Tibet and neighboring provinces in China by the Chinese government. “The police are violently dispersing peaceful Tibetan protestors in Nepal’s capital and arbitrarily detaining increasing numbers,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “How can a government that came to power on a wave of public protests against an authoritarian regime justify crushing peaceful protests by Tibetans?” When questioned about the reason for arrests of protesters, a district superintendent of police informed Human Rights Watch that it is government policy that there cannot be protests against China in Nepal. Police Brutality Human Rights Watch has witnessed the excessive use of force by the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force against peaceful Tibetan protesters on March 10, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19. Nepal Police and Armed Police have charged crowds with lathis (heavy sticks) and used tear gas as well as hitting, kicking and dragging to disperse protesters and to make arrests. Several protesters have been injured as a result, including head injuries from beatings with lathis. Human Rights Watch is extremely concerned about ill-treatment of Tibetan detainees at Boudha Police Station. On March 10, the 14 individuals detained were kicked, punched, slapped and verbally abused for approximately 15-20 minutes. Their names were registered and they were threatened that they would be deported to China, where Human Rights Watch believes they could expect to be imprisoned and possibly tortured. On the evening of March 14, police beat three detainees at Boudha Police Station continuously for approximately one hour. Police hit them with such force that the lathis used to assault them snapped. Human Rights Watch observed the three were visibly injured as they left the police station and were taken to hospital by friends. During attempted arrests at the same demonstration, one man was beaten on the head with a lathi, forcing him to fall to the ground where he was then beaten so hard by three police officers that he now has serious fractures in the bones of both feet. Human Rights Watch urged the Nepali government to ensure that members of the police and armed police do not use force against peaceful protestors. “Nepal’s security forces must understand that they can be held criminally accountable for physical violence against Tibetans,” said Adams. Arbitrary Arrests Human Rights Watch said that while in many cases the Nepali authorities have allowed peaceful protests, at other times it has arbitrarily arrested protesters. A particular case of concern is the March 18 arrests by police of Tenzin Jamphel (Thupten) and Gyalbo Lama Tamang, a Tibetan and a Nepali monk respectively, at 9:30 a.m. from Sarswati monastery. They were questioned at the Swayambu Ward Police for one hour, then taken to the Naxal police headquarters, where they were questioned for 30 minutes. Finally, they were taken to the office of the Kathmandu chief district officer and held there until 2 p.m. Both were forced to sign a document saying they would not participate in further protests. The Tibetan monk was threatened to be sent back to China if he participated in further protests and told that he had been added to the list of “wanted people.” Human Rights Watch is concerned about reports that the Kathmandu chief district officer has prepared a list of 11 Tibetan leaders to be arrested simply for being political opponents of the Chinese government. “The threat of detention and deportation to China is being used to silence peaceful dissent in Nepal,” said Adams. “Arbitrary arrests of Tibetans should cease immediately.” Human Rights Watch also expressed concern about attacks on journalists attempting to report on the Tibetan protests and developments along Nepal’s border with China. Asylum in Nepal As many Tibetans seek to escape the crackdown in Tibet and make their way to safety in Nepal, Human Rights Watch reminded Nepal of its international obligations to allow those at risk of persecution to seek asylum in Nepal. Many Tibetans who arrived in Nepal before December 31, 1989 are officially regarded as refugees. But the Nepali government has refused to register Tibetan asylum seekers arriving after that time as refugees. As a result, new arrivals are at risk of summary repatriation and encounter great difficulty integrating into Nepali society and accessing education, health care, and employment. It is also impossible for them to leave the country unless granted an exit permit. In January 2005, under pressure from the Chinese government, the Nepali government closed the Office of the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 2007, it took the unprecedented step of deregistering the Bhota Welfare Office, a local organisation assisting Tibetans living in Nepal. “Now is the time for the Nepali government to protect Tibetans – not to do the bidding of Beijing,” said Adams. Source: Human Rights Watch |
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