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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000144 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2019 
TAGS: PREL PREF CH NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: CHINA PRESSURE BUT NEPALIS SAY REFUGEE 
POLICY HASN'T CHANGED 
 
REF: NEW YORK TIMES 02/18/10 ARTICLE "CHINA 
     INTENSIFIES A TUG OF WAR WITH INDIA OVER 
     NEPAL" 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Donald A. Camp. Reasons 1.4 (b/ 
d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Nepal's commitment to protecting Tibetan 
refugees remains firm, despite Chinese pressure to increase 
security on the China-Nepal border.  During the Home 
Minister's recent visit to China, Chinese officials pressed 
the Minister to improve border communication and create a new 
bilateral coordination mechanism.  Although Nepal has 
promised to build new police border posts, constructing such 
posts is logistically complicated and expensive.  UNHCR does 
not believe the Chinese pressure has fundamentally altered 
Nepal's policy on Tibetan refugees, noting that the number of 
refugees crossing into Nepal in recent months has increased, 
not decreased, and that Nepal continues to honor the 
"gentlemen's agreement" to facilitate the transit of Tibetan 
refugees to India.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Chinese Press Home Minister on Border 
------------------------------------- 
¶2. (C) During Home Minister Bhim Rawal's February 6-12 trip 
to China, Chinese officials pressed Rawal to improve control 
of the Nepal-China border.  According to Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs Joint Secretary Dhananjay Jha, who traveled with 
Rawal, Chinese officials thanked Nepal for its crackdown on 
anti-Chinese demonstrations in Kathmandu during 2008-2009. 
As always, the Chinese asked Nepal to return "criminals" 
picked up in Nepal, and discussed the need for an extradition 
treaty (which the GON is not ready to sign). 
 
¶3. (C) Chinese officials specifically asked Rawal to create a 
system of direct communication between Chinese and Nepali 
border posts, Jha said.  The Nepal Armed Police Force (APF), 
which is responsible for border security, has developed a 
plan to build twenty new border posts near the Chinese 
border.  According to Jha and police sources, these proposed 
border posts are in very remote Himalayan mountain areas, 
with no roads or other infrastructure.  It will take 
substantial time and resources to construct the border posts 
(if they are ever built), and the APF will have difficulty 
staffing them.  In the meantime, the APF has deployed 
additional personnel to district headquarters, who conduct 
occasional limited patrols on the border. 
 
¶4. (C) The Chinese also requested the creation of a bilateral 
Home Secretary-Home Secretary consultation mechanism, as 
Nepal has with its "other neighbor" (i.e. India).  According 
to Jha, Minister Rawal agreed "in principle," with the 
Foreign Ministry to work out the details over time -- 
suggesting that the GON is not overly enthusiastic about the 
proposed mechanism and may stall on its creation. 
 
No Change in Nepal's Commitment to Tibetan Protection 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶5. (C) Despite the Chinese pressure, Deputy PM and ForMin 
Sujata Koirala assured Charge on February 18 that the 
Government of Nepal remains committed to protecting Tibetan 
refugees once they cross in Nepal and facilitating their 
transit to India.  While Nepal does not want to encourage 
migration of Tibetans, Nepal "can't send them back" once they 
enter Nepal, ForMin Koirala said.  During UNHCR 
Representative Jaquemet's initial meetings with the head of 
the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, both assured 
Jaquemet that the "gentlemen's agreement," allowing for the 
safe passage of Tibetans through Nepal to India, remained in 
force. 
 
¶6. (C) UNHCR officials told EmbOff on February 18 that the 
Chinese pressure on Tibetan refugees is not new.  In fact, 
the "low point" in GON policy was in 2003-2005, when the 
Kathmandu government actually refouled 18 Tibetans and 
 
KATHMANDU 00000144  002 OF 002 
 
 
stopped issuing exit permits.  The recent announcements are 
the "latest in a set of long-standing pressures to disrupt 
and stop" the flow of Tibetans.  The new border security 
posts represent a new strategy to "militarize" the border to 
scare people away, but UNHCR did not believe it would have a 
major impact on the movement of Tibetans into Nepal.  UNHCR 
also noted that most of the Tibetans entering Nepal cross 
through Kodhari (77 percent), which is already the 
most-heavily-patrolled border zone.  The GON is unlikely to 
fundamentally change its policy on refugees, the UNHCR 
official added, in part because it is well aware of the 
international interest in this issue and the goodwill Nepal's 
progressive policies generates. 
 
¶7. (C) In 2009, the Tibetan Reception Center, which 
facilitates the transit of Tibetans to India.  This 
represents a increase from 2008, when approximately 600 
Tibetans arrived in Nepal, and suggests that it is easier -- 
not more difficult -- for Tibetans to cross in Nepal in 
recent months, and contradicting ref New York Times article. 
(Note: UNHCR and other experts believe that the low refugee 
numbers in 2008 and early 2009 was largely a result of 
Chinese restrictions on internal Tibetan travel, making it 
difficult for potential refugees to reach the border.  End 
Note.) 
 
China Concerned about Demonstrations During Shanghai Expo 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶8. (C) MFA's Jha told us that the Chinese had raised with the 
visiting Home Minister their hope that Nepal will not allow 
anti-China demonstrations during the Shanghai Expo (beginning 
May 1).  This reflects continuing concern about Tibetan 
refugees taking advantage of China's high-profile 
celebrations (i.e. 2008 Olympics and 2009's 60th anniversary 
of the PRC) to highlight their plight. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶9. (C) While Home Minister Rawal's visit was another occasion 
for the Chinese to press Nepal to crack down on the flow of 
Tibetan refugees, we do not believe the Nepalis will take the 
extraordinary steps necessary to prevent their arrival and 
transit to India.  There may be some short-term decrease in 
numbers, but the flow will continue.  Post will continue to 
stress the importance to us of Nepal's continuing its 
existing policies.  Charge will meet Home Minister next week 
and has invited other concerned embassies to a Tibet core 
group meeting to discuss the coordination of our efforts. 
CAMP