The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) reported on 01 November the arrest of 56 Tibetans by Nepali police for holding a mourning and prayers event for the monks who recently set themselves ablaze in Tibet at an unauthorized public location. On 02 November, further minor clashes occurred. While these events expose Nepali authorities' efforts to put a cap on Tibetan protest, they also illustrate a recurring strategy on the part of some radical exile groups to provoke Nepali authorities rather than seek support in the country, at a time when others within the community strive to work towards a better situation for Tibetans in Nepal.

The event on 01 November was organised by a Nepali branch of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC)(1), a Tibetan exile fringe group that campaigns for Tibetan independence in opposition to the Dalai Lama's and the Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) line, which demands genuine autonomy for Tibet. It appears to have been timed to coincide with a global day of protest on 02 November, and was intended to be held in the community grounds of Jawalakhel, a part of Patan/Lalitpur, close to Kathmandu, and where there is one of the oldest Tibetan refugee settlements in the Kathmandu valley. About 300 Tibetans reportedly came from Pokhara, Nepal's second most important town, in the hills, to participate in the event. Participants began gathering at the community ground from the evening of 31 October onwards. Most arrived from 10:00 am, on 01 November.

In an earlier telephone conversation with HURON's President, Mr. Sudip Pathak, the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Lalitpur had requested that he suggest to the organising committee that they set up the event inside the Tibetan settlement's precincts, and refrain from "any activity associated with 'Free Tibet'". However, the committee turned down the rquest and insisted on running the event on the streets(2).

The Nepali Authorities reacted by sending the police and, by 12:00pm, Tibetans were arrested at a number of locations in the area. They were taken to a local police station situated about 200 metres from the event's location. In total, 38 female and 18 male Tibetans were detained. While being arrested, the Tibetans shouted slogans like: "Long Live the Dalai Lama"; and "Free Tibet". Members of the media, who seemed to have been informed in advance about the event, documented the scene as it unfolded. The superintendent of Lalitpur District Police informed HURON that those detained would be released from 6:00 pm onwards. It appeared that all those who had been arrested were released by the evening.

During one scuffle among many during the afternoon, a portrait of the Dalai Lama was damaged and removed by police, leading to an uproar amongst the demonstrators potentially creating an incident that would be upsetting to the Nepali Himalayan Buddhists, also followers of Tibetan Buddhism. However, many Nepali Buddhists expressed ambiguous feelings about the Tibetan protest. One of them said: "I am a Himali [an inhabitant of the high Himalayan regions of Nepal, close to the Tibet border] and hence a Nepali citizen and a follower of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As such I sympathise with the Tibetans' plight. In our villages, we help Tibetan refugees who come across the border and hide them, so that police won't find them. However, I feel very uncomfortable about what happened today and unfortunately this is not the first time. I disagree with our government's handling of Tibetan things and I belong to those who try to challenge that. However, as chaotic as our country might be, everyone must be expected to behave according to law and regulations. If Tibetans are allowed to hold a mourning in their camps or in a monastery, then they should do that, but if they transform the event into an aggressive demonstration and come out on the street knowing very well the authorities have to react to that, then this is a deliberate provocation and I find that disturbing. Nepali citizen have to behave according to the law, why should not Tibetans? Many Nepali have the impression Tibetans feel they can ignore Nepali laws because they think they enjoy the protection of developed countries. I do not like that. I do think that Tibetans should be allowed to hold demonstrations like Nepalis, but if they are not given this right, then they should challenge that in court, not simply break the rules and behave as if they stood above Nepali rules. Then when I see all the international media around here, I realise what looks like a spontaneous outbreak of anger was in fact well planned in order to attract the world's media attention and, again, I feel discomfort about that. I feel somehow misused".

Some western diplomats in Kathmandu also expressed reservations. Speaking to TibetInfoNet, one of them said: "We support human rights for Tibetans in Nepal, and also their right to express opinions, however, we must also draw a clear line between protecting the rights of Tibetans and being harnessed to the political agenda of some of the more radical among them. There are current efforts at regularising the position of refugees in this country, which we support, but I think the events of today will render such efforts more difficult than ever".

Tensions remained and new clashes occurred in the morning of 02 November. A Tibetan woman threatened to pour kerosene on herself and set herself ablaze in the Tibetan camp of Jawalakhel, but was prevented from doing so. Later, further protests on the street outside the camp were broken up by the police. According to HURON, eighteen Tibetans were detained, but released again in the evening.

Some prominent members of the Tibetan community in Nepal criticised the Nepali authorities but also expressed disappointment at the behaviour of fellow Tibetans. "This is not going to bring any good to anybody, not in Tibet and not here either. It is very damaging for us. We have to live here and we actually feel comfortable in Nepal. We are solidary with our people in Tibet, but we also must establish good and sustainable relationship with Nepalis and the Nepali authorities, not senselessly provoke them. What happens here is that a few radical elements destroy the patient efforts of the majority towards gaining the trust and support of Nepalis. I can't see any sense in that, this is very damaging".

In 2008, recurring demonstrations in Kathmandu, in particular in front of the Chinese embassy, led to pressures on the Tibetan community in Nepal and to more obstacles for Tibetans from Tibet to cross the border and continue their way to Dharamsala in India where they come to meet the Dalai Lama.

Notes:
1: In Nepal, mostly addressed as 'Tibetan Youth Club', for legal reasons.
2: Note that in October 2010, as Tibetan exile in Kathmandu were holding the preliminary elections for the head of CTA, a similar situation occurred when young Tibetans in two parts of Kathmandu valley refused to shut the poll stations, resulting in police intervention and confiscation of the ballot boxes.