Tibet: Refugees Gather to Mark 55 Years of Exile
On 10 December 2014, Tibetan refugees gathered at the Srongtsen Bhrikuti Boarding School in Tinchuli, Kathmandu, Nepal on the occasion of the 66th International Human Rights Day, to mark 55 years in exile from their homeland. There are over 20,000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal, who fled the violence and repression by Chinese authorities.
Below is an article published by Al Jazeera:
Thousands of Tibetan refugees gathered on the 66th International Human Rights Day on December 10 [2014] to raise awareness about the situation of Tibet and to celebrate their 55 years in exile in Nepal at the Srongtsen Bhrikuti Boarding School in Tinchuli, Kathmandu, Nepal.
More than 20,000 Tibetans currently reside in Nepal, many of whom have been there since the exile of the Dalai Lama from Tibet in 1959.
Before 2008, as many as 2,000 Tibetans were arriving in Nepal each year, trekking across Himalayan mountain passes to reach the country. The number dropped to less than 200 per year by 2013.
Many of them then cross into India, where they are given political asylum, as they are denied identity documents, access to free education, health services and livelihood opportunities by Nepali authorities.
The flight of Tibetan citizens began during the Chinese Maoist government’s expansionist policy between 1949 and 1959, with many fleeing to India and some to Nepal.
After the 1959 Lhasa uprising, Nepal opened its borders for Tibetan refugees, resulting in a significant increase in the number of Tibetans entering Nepal.
However, following the signature of a treaty between Tibet and China in 1986, the flow of refugees into Nepal was substantially reduced.
New and even stricter border control policies enacted by Nepal in 1989 due to Chinese pressure resulted in even greater restrictions on the ability of Tibetan refugees to enter Nepal.
