US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1277

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001277 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS, PRM/RMACKLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PHUM, KIRF, CH, NP 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: GON CANCELS DALAI LAMA CELEBRATIONS 
 
REF: 02 KATHMANDU 1332 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  ON JULY 4, THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL 
(GON) PROHIBITED TIBETAN GROUPS FROM HOLDING CELEBRATIONS 
ON JULY 6 TO HONOR THE DALAI LAMA'S BIRTHDAY.  DESPITE THE 
PROHIBITION, AT LEAST TWO TIBETAN GROUPS PROCEEDED WITH 
CELEBRATIONS WITHOUT GON INTERFERENCE.  ALTHOUGH THE 
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ARE NECESSARILY POLITICAL AS WELL AS 
RELIGIOUS, THIS INCIDENT APPEARS TO SIGNAL A FURTHER 
TIGHTENING OF RESTRICTIONS ON TIBETAN ACTIVITIES IN NEPAL. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) ON JUNE 19, THE OFFICE OF TIBET FORMALLY APPLIED 
FOR PERMISSION TO HOLD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS, INCLUDING A 
CULTURAL SHOW AT A TIBETAN BOARDING SCHOOL AND AN EVENING 
RECEPTION FOR DIGNITARIES AND FOREIGN DIPLOMATS AT A MAJOR 
HOTEL.  ON JUNE 26, WANGCHUK TSERING, THE DALAI LAMA'S 
REPRESENTATIVE IN NEPAL, RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM 
KATHMANDU'S CHIEF DISTRICT OFFICER (CDO) TO HOLD THE 
CELEBRATIONS. 
 
3. (SBU) HOWEVER, ON JULY 4, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE 
FOR CENTRAL KATHMANDU TOLD TSERING THAT, ON THE ORDER OF 
THE HOME MINISTRY, THE OFFICE OF TIBET WOULD HAVE TO 
CANCEL ALL CELEBRATIONS HELD IN HONOR OF THE DALAI LAMA'S 
BIRTHDAY, EVEN THOSE TO BE HELD INSIDE THE TEMPLE AT 
BOUDDHANATH STUPA AND SURROUNDING MONASTERIES.  [NOTE. 
THE BOUDDHANATH STUPA IS CONSIDERED THE HOLIEST TEMPLE FOR 
TIBETAN BUDDHISTS IN NEPAL.  END NOTE.]  ACCORDING TO 
TSERING, THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID THAT CELEBRATIONS COULD 
 
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ONLY BE HELD "IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR OWN HOMES."  DESPITE 
REPEATED EFFORTS TO CONTACT OTHER GON OFFICIALS, THE 
OFFICE OF TIBET AND OTHER TIBETAN COMMUNITY LEADERS MADE 
REPEATED BUT UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO PERSUADE GON 
OFFICIALS TO GRANT THEM PERMISSION TO HOLD THE 
CELEBRATIONS. 
 
4. (SBU) DESPITE THE PROHIBITION, AT LEAST TWO TIBETAN 
GROUPS HELD CELEBRATIONS ON JULY 6.  A GROUP OF 
APPROXIMATELY 300 BUDDHIST NEPALI CITIZENS GATHERED AT THE 
BOUDDHANATH STUPA TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY.  ALSO, THE 
HIMALAYAN BUDDHIST SOCIETY PROCEEDED WITH ITS CELEBRATION 
AT A MONASTERY NEAR BOUDDHA, NORTHEAST OF KATHMANDU, WHICH 
BETWEEN 300-400 PEOPLE ATTENDED.   THESE CELEBRATIONS WERE 
CONDUCTED WITHOUT INTERFERENCE BY THE GON. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT.  WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE CANCELLATION OF 
TIBETAN CELEBRATIONS FOR THE DALAI LAMA'S BIRTHDAY AGAIN 
THIS YEAR REPRESENTS A FURTHER TIGHTENING OF TIBETAN 
CULTURAL EXPRESSION IN NEPAL.  THIS YEAR, UNLIKE LAST 
YEAR, THE OFFICE OF TIBET FORMALLY REQUESTED, AND 
RECEIVED, PERMISSION FROM THE GON TO HOLD ITS 
CELEBRATIONS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS LATER RESCINDED.  ALSO 
UNLIKE LAST YEAR, THE TIBETANS WERE SPECIFICALLY 
PROHIBITED FROM HOLDING CEREMONIES WITHIN TEMPLES AND 
MONASTERIES.  THE DALAI LAMA'S DUAL ROLE NOT ONLY AS 
RELIGIOUS FIGURE BUT ALSO AS HEAD OF THE TIBETAN 
GOVERNMENT IN EXILE POSES A SERIOUS DILEMMA FOR THE GON. 
OFFICIALS AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TELL US THAT 
THEY HAVE NO DESIRE TO CURTAIL TIBETAN RELIGIOUS 
PRACTICES, BUT THE TIBETAN THEOCRACY IN EXILE MEANS THAT 
VIRTUALLY EVERY EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE DALAI LAMA'S OFFICE 
IN NEPAL IS INVESTED WITH NATIONALISTIC AND POLITICAL 
SIGNIFICANCE, WHICH COMPLICATES NEPAL'S RELATIONS WITH 
CHINA.  END COMMENT. 
 
BOGGS