STAFFDEL URGES HMGN TO ALLOW REFUGEES TO EXIT NEPAL

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 002903 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/INS AND H DEPT PASS TO HOUSE STAFFDEL SZYMANSKI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL NP SUBJECT: STAFFDEL URGES HMGN TO ALLOW REFUGEES TO EXIT NEPAL Office of Dalai Lama in Nepal Unlikely -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On December 21, House Staffdel Szymanski met separately with both Acting Foreign Secretary Nabin Bahadur Shrestha and Acting Home Secretary Chabbi Prasad Bant to discuss future parliamentary exchange and urge action on refugee issues. Shrestha welcomed the possibility of future Congressional visits and assured the Staffdel that such visits would be given access to all levels of society. Szymanski urged both Secretaries to permit an Office of the Dalai Lama in Nepal. Both Shrestha and Bant explained that Nepal had to consider "our close relationship with our neighbors." Shrestha noted that Nepal had a long relationship with Tibet and was the only country to have a consulate in Lhasa. Bant clarified that the Dalai Lama's representative office had been closed because it was unregistered. He said that both India and China had diplomatic missions in Nepal and it would be inappropriate for Nepal to give "preference" to the Dalai Lama. HMGN "Studying" Tibetan Refugee Issues -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Shrestha noted that Nepal had a long history of protecting refugees. Szymanski urged HMGN to allow those refugees who wished to leave to depart, including 5,000 Tibetans whom the U.S. Congress proposed to allow to resettle in the U.S. When pressed on refugee status and immigration issues, such as travel documents and exit permits for Tibetans, Shrestha replied that Nepal was studying the issue. HMGN Urges Bhutan to Begin Repatriation -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Staffdel noted they would soon travel to Bhutan and asked Shrestha if there was any message from HMGN that they could convey to the Bhutanese. Shrestha replied that the 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in camps in Nepal wished to return home as Nepal had been a host for too long. He added that the refugees needed certain guarantees from Bhutan before beginning their journey back. Separately, Bant lamented that the Bhutanese had not acted with positive intentions. He hoped that there could be a fruitful result of dialogue with Bhutan so that the refugees could soon be repatriated. ¶4. (SBU) Staffdel: -- J. Matthew Szymanski, Chief of Staff, House Small Business Committee -- Christopher Szymanski, Staff Assistant, House Small Business Committee -- Dawn Petchell, Senior Policy Adviser, Bureau of Legislative Affairs (H Bureau) -- James Garrison, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army House Liaison ¶5. (U) Staffdel Szymanski cleared this message. MILLARD