24 July 2008
HRW release report on Tibetan demonstrations in Nepal
(HRW) The government of Nepal, under pressure from China, has arbitrarily arrested hundreds of Tibetans and restricted their right to demonstrate against the March 2008 crackdown in Tibet, said Human Rights Watch (HRW). The New York-based group called on Nepal to respect Tibetans' rights to free expression and assembly, and for China to end its pressure campaign against Nepal. The 60-page report: 'Appeasing China: Restricting the Rights of Tibetans in Nepal' documents numerous violations of human rights by the Nepali authorities, particularly the police, against Tibetans involved in peaceful demonstrations in Kathmandu. In preparing the report, HRW directly observed protests and arrests, conditions in detention, and treatment in hospitals. They also interviewed more than 90 Tibetan protesters and conducted interviews with non-Tibetan protest eyewitnesses, Tibetan community and religious leaders, Nepali medical personnel and police officers, and United Nations personnel in Nepal.