June 9, 2008
In recent days, after a moratorium to commemorate China’s horrific earthquake, Tibetan protesters have resumed daily demonstrations in Nepal’s capital.
On June 5, Nepalese police broke up an anti-China protest Thursday by
more than 250 Tibetan exiles, including many Buddhist monks and nuns,
detaining all of them. The protesters managed to break past a police
line and reached the gates of the Chinese Embassy's visa office in
Katmandu before being pushed back by police.
On June 7, baton-wielding police subdued the highest number of refugees
detained in a single day since the resumption of protests –at least 450.
On June 8, security detained 185 Tibetan exiles as they again tried to
storm the Chinese visa office, demanding freedom for their Himalayan
homeland.
This
ongoing Tibetan defiance of Nepali regulations, which prohibit
political outbursts by Tibetan refugees, is something to watch very
closely in light of the major governmental shift in Nepal—a government
that most certainly will be headed by the Maoists.
The Chinese
have repeatedly complained about the interim government’s “leniency”
with Tibetan demonstrators and Nepali politicos are under tremendous
pressure to kowtow to China’s demands, particularly on this issue – an
issue that will not go away of its own accord. Up until now, most
Tibetan protesters have been released a few hours after detention. 
One week ago, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Nepal’s Minister for Information
and Communication and a senior member of the Maoist Party, visited
Beijing to meet with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department
of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. During that
meeting, Mahara expressed unambiguous support of China’s Tibet-related
issues. He vowed to “prevent any force from doing any anti-China
activities in Nepal.” How that vow will manifest itself remains to be
seen, but it seems inevitable that something must give in the not too
distant future.
......................................................................
