NEPAL: TIBETANS STILL IN DETENTION; MOVED TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000997

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS AND PRM
LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY
GENEVA FOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD
BEIJING PLEASE PASS CHENGDU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2013
TAGS: PREF PREL NP CH
SUBJECT: NEPAL: TIBETANS STILL IN DETENTION; MOVED TO
HOLDING FACILITY

REF: A. STATE 144931


B. KATHMANDU 0984

C. KATHMANDU 0753

D. KATHMANDU 0991

Classified By: CDA ROBERT K. BOGGS. REASON: 1.5 (B,D).


1. (C) Charge delivered Ref A demarche to Foreign Secretary
Madhu Raman Acharya on May 30. Acharya denied that there has
been any change in Government of Nepal (GON) policy toward
Tibetans transiting Nepal. He said that he would look into
reports of Chinese diplomats attempting to pressure
immigration authorities and accosting UNHCR personnel (Ref
B). Charge consulted with EU colleagues, who demarched the
Foreign Ministry in parallel, emphasizing the real
possibility of economic boycott by Europeans if Nepal deports
the Tibetans. The Cabinet reshuffle that began on May 30
(Ref D) thwarted our repeated attempts to engage with
high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Home, who claimed
to remain closeted in meetings throughout the day.


2. (C) Office of Tibet Representative Wangchuk Tsering told
poloff that the Tibetan detainees were moved from the Dili
Bazaar jail to the Hanuman Dhoka holding facility in downtown
Kathmandu. Tsering said that the move indicates that the GON
is preparing either to deport the Tibetans or to hand them
over to UNHCR. As of COB May 30, police at Hanuman Dhoka
were telling the Office of Tibet that they were awaiting
further instructions regarding the Tibetans. Tsering
reported that unlike the previous day, no Chinese diplomats
were observed by his staff in the area where the Tibetans
were being held until after COB May 30. He expressed hope
that no definitive action would be taken regarding the
detainees until after the shape of a new Cabinet (Ref D)
becomes clearer. UNHCR Protection Officer Giulia Ranawat
advised that her office was able to interview just one of the
18 detainees for the first time on May 29. She added that
the Department of Immigration had requested her again on May
30 to hand over the three children previously released to
UNHCR.

3. (C) Comment: The possibility remains that GON
authorities may take advantage of the weekend hiatus to
deport the Tibetans. Given the uncertain make-up of a new
Cabinet--and the distinct possibility that a different Home
Minister may be named within a week--we doubt the typically
cautious line officers at the Ministry would take such an
initiative. That said, we will continue to monitor the
situation throughout the weekend.
BOGGS