NEPAL: ANOTHER NINE TIBETANS HANDED-OVER TO UNHCR

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001337 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SA/INS, PRM/RMACKLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM CH NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: ANOTHER NINE TIBETANS HANDED-OVER TO UNHCR REF: KATHMANDU 1219 ¶1. (SBU) ON JULY 15, THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL'S DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION RELEASED NINE UNDOCUMENTED TIBETANS TO UNHCR. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF TIBET, THE NINE TIBETANS WERE ARRESTED ON IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS SOMETIME DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 7 IN THE EASTERN HILL DISTRICT OF OKHALDHUNGA. THE POLICE TRANSPORTED THE GROUP TO RAJBIRAJ ALONG NEPAL'S SOUTHERN BORDER, WHERE THEY WERE HANDED OVER TO IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS. THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION THEN ARRANGED FOR THEIR TRANSPORTATION TO KATHMANDU WHERE THEY WERE RELEASED TO UNHCR. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT. THE ARREST OF THIS GROUP OF TIBETANS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE LOCAL PRESS, BUT NOT THEIR RELEASE TO UNHCR. POST BELIEVES THAT, FOLLOWING THE RELEASE ON JUNE 29 OF NINETEEN TIBETANS ARRESTED IN WESTERN NEPAL (REFTEL),THE RELEASE OF THIS SECOND GROUP PROVIDES FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE GON DOES NOT INTEND TO CHANGE ITS LONG-STANDING POLICY OF ALLOWING TIBETANS TO TRANSIT NEPAL UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNHCR. END COMMENT. MALINOWSKI