In a breach of international law, Nepalese authorities are bowing to pressure from China to deport 18 Tibetan refugees who have been detained in Kathmandu since April 15. The Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre had collected enough funds to pay the fines of the detainees, and thereby secure their release. But, according to eyewitnesses, Chinese embassy officials came to the jail in Dilli Bazaar and demanded that the detainees be deported to Tibet, where many human rights advocates say they will be treated as ‘dissidents’ for escaping, and almost certainly subjected to torture. Nepal has historically observed a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, to protect Tibetan refugees traveling through Nepal on their way to India. The UNHCR has called on Nepal to transfer the refugees to its protective custody. The detainees, including 10 teenagers, were arrested after a long and difficult journey on foot over high Himalayan passes from their homes in Tibet.
