US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU1248

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TIBETAN WELFARE SOCIETY JUNE 8 UPDATE

Identifier: 05KATHMANDU1248
Wikileaks: View 05KATHMANDU1248 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Kathmandu
Created: 2005-06-08 12:33:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREF PHUM PGOV PINS NP Tibetan Refugees
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

081233Z Jun 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS, DRL, EAP/CM, PRM/ANE, G 
LONDON FOR POL:BELL 
GENEVA FOR PLYNCH 
NEW DELHI FOR JNAIR 
BEIJING PLEASE PASS TO CHENGDU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, PGOV, PINS, NP, Tibetan Refugees 
SUBJECT: TIBETAN WELFARE SOCIETY JUNE 8 UPDATE 
 
REF: A. KATHMANDU 1134 NOTAL 
 
     B. KATHMANDU 1193 
 
Classified By: CHARGE ELISABETH MILLARD; Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
1. (C)  On June 7, the Charge pressed Foreign Minister Pandey 
to act to register the Tibetan Welfare Society.  Pandey said 
he understood the importance of registering the Tibetan 
Welfare Society, but noted that the Home Ministry would have 
an important say.  He thought it would be better to work 
through the King to obtain Home Ministry concurrence, which 
was again necessary following recent pressure from the PRC 
(ref A).  Pandey explained that he would take the opportunity 
of his upcoming travel with the King to discuss the issue in 
depth.  Pandey stressed that His Majesty's Government of 
Nepal (HMGN) had no intention of interfering with the 
processing of Tibetan Refugees. 
 
Snowlion Option 
--------------- 
 
2. (C)  UNHCR Resident Representative Abraham Abraham 
reported to us a June 7 conversation he had with Nepal 
Foreign Secretary Acharya on June 7 to push the registration 
of the Tibetan Welfare Society.  Abraham said he had also 
suggested the option of an operational agreement with the 
organization that currently works with pre-1989 Tibetan 
refugees in Nepal, the Snowlion Foundation.  Acharya had 
responded that HMGN would not need to approve an operational 
agreement between UNHCR and Snowlion, as that body was 
already a registered NGO.  Abraham said he now intended to 
contact Snowlion to see if such an agreement would be 
acceptable to them. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
3. (C)  Embassy continues to press HMGN to register the 
Tibetan Welfare Society.  However, we agree with UNHCR that 
the Snowlion option is worth pursuing to ensure that all 
Tibetan refugees are protected and processed in the safest 
manner possible. End Comment. 
MILLARD 

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