Nepal’s government has ordered police to crack down on Tibetans living illegally in the country and will deport those who are found without proper papers, an official said yesterday.
Nepali Home Ministry spokesman Modraj Dotel said police have so far detained 106 Tibetans who are being investigated.
“We are screening this first group and those found without proper documents will face deportation to where they came from,” Dotel said.
He said police and immigration department officials had been ordered to take action as the Tibetans have not stopped their protests despite repeated appeals from the government.
“We have been forced to take this measure as Tibetan immigrants continued with their anti-China protests. We don’t want to spoil our friendly relations with China,” the spokesman said.
“We will not allow our territory to be used for anti-China activity,” he said.
Tibetans in Nepal have held months of protests, often near the Chinese Embassy, against China’s heavy-handed rule in their homeland, and Beijing has criticized Nepal for not doing enough to stop the demonstrations.
The government has repeatedly told the Tibetans to halt their protests, which have often turned violent with scuffles between police and demonstrators.
Nepalese officials say protests against friendly nations, including neighboring China, cannot be allowed, and that the government must protect foreign embassies against attacks.
Police usually remove the Tibetan protesters from the embassy area, hold them for a few hours and then release them in the evening. Initially, police used force to disperse the demonstrations but were criticized by rights groups.
Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal visited China soon after assuming power last month and said he discussed the issue of Tibetans in Nepal with Chinese leaders.
Thousands of Tibetans are living in Nepal and thousands more pass through every year on their way from Tibet to Dharamasala in India, where Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is living in exile.
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