US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1018

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001018 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA, SA/INS, EAP/CM, DRL-A/S CRANER, AND PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2013 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, PREL, CH, NP, Tibetan Refugees 
SUBJECT: FUTURE OF TIBETAN REFUGEES IN NEPAL REMAINS 
UNCERTAIN 
 
REF: A. (A) BEIJING 6004 
 
     B. (B) KATHMANDU 0998 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: CDA ROBERT K. BOGGS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1. (U) PolOffs met June 3 with Wangchuk Tsering, Office of 
Tibet and Official Representative of the Dalai Lama in Nepal 
to discuss the status of Tibeten refugees in Nepal, after the 
May 30 deportation described Ref B.  Tsering said he 
appreciated USG efforts to delay the deportation of the 18 
refugees as well as the Embassy's June 2 press release 
deploring Government of Nepal's (GON) actions. 
 
2. (C) Tsering admitted that one of the 18 refugees had been 
engaged in political activism in Tibet, for which he had been 
arrested three separate times in China.  A different source 
close to the Tibetan community reported that three others of 
the 18 refugees, including the guide, were suspected by other 
Tibetans of criminal activity in Tibet. 
 
3. (C) The fate of the three Tibetan refugee children (two 
age 6 and one age 9), now under UNHCR's custody at the 
reception center in Kathmandu, remains uncertain.  Tsering 
reported that the UNHCR has not requested exit visas for the 
children from the GON for fear that the Immigration Service's 
standing request to hand the children over would be renewed. 
 
 
4. (C) Tsering said he fears that the deportation of 
organized groups, such as this one coming from Lhasa, will 
dampen the flow of refugees, at least until the GON proves it 
has returned to its previous policy of allowing refugees to 
transit to India.  Because of the Office of Tibet's fears 
that the GON will seize and arrest refugees for immigration 
violations, Tsering confided that he has not bothered to 
inform UNHCR of the few Tibetans who have made it across the 
border since the May 30 incident because he believes it 
unlikely the GON would grant them exit permits. 
 
5. (C) Comment:  Because of the diplomatic outcry in response 
to the GON's deportation of the 18 refugees, it is unlikely 
the GON will force UNHCR to hand over the three child 
refugees to the immigration authorities.  However, the 
fall-out of this incident on the flow of refugees from Tibet 
may be significant as fears of deportation circulate in the 
Tibetan refugee community.  Post will continue to impress 
upon the GON the importance the U.S. and international 
communities place on this issue.  Our ongoing effort to 
arrange an appointment with the Home Ministry to discuss this 
issue with senior officials has, so far, been denied.  End 
Comment. 
BOGGS