Nepal police has explicitly warned Tibetans against chanting anti-China slogans in Nepal reads the attached link.
The Nepali Governments’ shameless attempt to pacify the “other neighbor” has made it lose track of what this State led repression does to Nepals social fiber. The Government of Nepal supports the One China policy and that is alright with me –I perosnally support the Dalai Lama’s position on Tibet-China relationship, which does not seek complete independence, - but not allowing the Tibetans, many of whom are Nepali citizens, to speak their minds is legally and morally wrong.
There is a large Tibetan population in Nepal, and they are an important part of our society. It is the duty of the State to protect their right of free speech. And if that freedom means shouting anti-China slogans then so be it. Or has the Nepali state decided to handpick the people who “deserve” freedom and those who do not! The Nepali-Tibetan community regardless of where they have come from, or what their ideological stance is deserve all the protection a democratic state promises to give to its people.
The biggest problem for Nepal being a stronger democracy is the Government. By threating to use force against people who want to speak their minds the government is encroaching on individual rights –or can we exercise that only when it’s convenient?
The problem here is not so much the Chinese government as the Nepali government. China may not be a democratic country and it does not pretend to be one. Nepal pretends to be a democratic country all the while cowering to the pressure from Beijing. There I said it!
The Nepali civil society has to wake up from this kiss- China’s rear mentality. We are very good at criticizing India, but I hope we do the same to China when it deserves it. And its arm twisting of the Nepali government regarding anti-China rallies, and the Nepali governments harsh and repressive actions against pro-Tibet activists deserve criticism.
Do not get me wrong, if people within Nepals boundary were to pick up arms against China, I support action against them; but this is not the case. Regardless of how good China is to us what is wrong is wrong!
Image taken from AsiaNews.it
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