April 21, 2011
This week, two events underline the Chinese government’s ever more emboldened stance in Nepal.
1) A diplomatic row erupted between China and Nepal as Beijing expressed dissatisfaction over the appointment of a minister of Tibetan ethnic origin by the communist party-led government of Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal. Chinese embassy officials in Kathmandu denounced the appointment of Lharkyal Lama as State Minister for Finance. The embassy’s stance is that Mr. Lama is connected with the “Free Tibet Movement”, a CPN-UML party source said in Nagarik Daily. According to Republica, Lama holds the nationality of Nepal, India and Tibet –the latter, of course, being unacceptable to Beijing.
2) Nepalese police yesterday broke up a 24-hour hunger strike by Tibetans living in Kathmandu intended to demonstrate solidarity with Tibetans impacted by a crackdown underway at Kirti Monastery and its environs in eastern Tibet. Some 30 Tibetan hunger strikers were gathered privately, encircled by Tibetan national flags and other "pro-Tibet" signage, inside a local community center in the Boudha area of Kathmandu when Nepalese police barged in, even insisting that one Tibetan woman take off her tee-shirt with a 'save Tibet' message, in front of everyone present. When she objected, she was told that if she did not comply, all of the Tibetan hunger strikers would be taken to prison.
Sonam Choedron told International Campaign for Tibet: "I felt absolutely humiliated. It is not fair but it shows how badly Nepalese police are treating Tibetans. It is surely against Nepalese law. This was not a political rally, but prayers in solidarity - and in private - with the Kirti monk who lost his life."
Nepalese police stayed on duty at the hunger strike until 10 pm and arrived back at the center the following morning. According to eyewitness sources, there was an unusually high number of what were thought to be Nepalese intelligence officials present with the police.
In an example of the civility that once prevailed between Tibetan and Nepalese, local Tibetans later offered Nepalese police on duty in the Boudha area bowls of Tibetan thukpa (noodles with meat) and tea.
This most recent police action, coupled with the Chinas belligerance over the appointment of the new State Minister of Finance, are but further indications that Nepal is being hounded by China's dictate when it comes to domestic affairs.
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