The European Parliament adopted a resolution Thursday calling on Nepal to respect the democratic and human rights of the Tibetan people living in the country.
The resolution called on the EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs, Ms Catherine Ashton, to closely monitor, through the EU delegation in Kathmandu, the treatment of the Tibetan refugees and respect for their rights in Nepal. It urged the Nepalese authorities to abide by its international human rights obligations and refrain from preventive arrests, policing restrictions on demonstrations and gatherings during festivals marked by the Tibetan community.
The resolution referred to the ban imposed by Nepal on Tibetans from voting for the prime minister and members of the parliament for the Tibetan Government-in-exile under increasing pressure from the Chinese Government. The resolution adopted by EU condemned the growing influence of China in the internal affairs of Nepal.
Nepal is home to about 20,000 exiled Tibetans who began arriving in large numbers in 1959 after the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising against the Chinese delegates.
