Nepal is no longer the safe haven for Tibetan refugees fleeing Chinese repression. Since 1995, mounting Chinese pressure has stopped Nepal from issuing documentation to Tibetan refugees, resulting in their exclusion from travel, employment, and education, among other fundamental human rights.

Many Tibetans now refer to Nepal as the "second Tibet'', alluding to the fact that the repression faced by Tibetans in Nepal is second only to Tibet under Chinese occupation.

The intensification of Chinese-directed surveillance and espionage operations, conducted in close collaboration with Nepali authorities, has exacerbated the curtailment of Tibetans' freedom of expression and association, impeding Tibetan refugee's basic freedom to engage in cultural and religious practices.

By neither allowing Tibetan refugees in Nepal the freedom to leave and resettle in a third country nor providing adequate space to exercise their fundamental human rights, Nepal has also been violating its commitment under the 1989 Gentleman's Agreement with the UNHCR, ensnaring Tibetans in a state of limbo and uncertainty.

We need your support to address the plight of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.

Please take a moment to sign this petition and help us amplify our voice in urging the Nepal government to :

• Sign and ratify the UN conventions on refugees and stateless persons

• Adhere to the principle of non-refoulement by not deporting Tibetan refugees to Tibet where they face torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment

• Allow safe passage to Tibetan refugees to transit through Nepali territory on their journey to India

• Introduce specific legislation and policy on protecting human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

• Issue refugee document to Tibetan refugees and their children with substantial rights to live, work, study, and travel

• Amend the Constitution to ensure that fundamental rights and freedoms are also granted to all persons, not just citizens, residing in Nepal

• Issue exit permits to Tibetan refugees wishing to migrate for better opportunities and a better future

We also call on the Chinese government to:

• Cease violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nepal as per the provisions of the UN Charter

• Stop pressuring Nepali authorities to violate the human rights of Tibetan refugees.

• End all surveillance and espionage activities against Tibetan community leaders and activists living in Nepal.

• Allow the UNHCR and Nepali authorities to provide safe transit to all Tibetan refugees travelling or transiting through Nepal.

• Dismantle military infrastructure along the Tibet-Nepal border that endangers the safety and security of Tibetan refugees.

• Honour the rights and protection of all refugees as enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol both of which China has ratified

The international community to:

• Exert concrete pressure on Chinese authorities to stop violating the human rights of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.

• Engage proactively with Nepali authorities to protect and guarantee the human rights of Tibetan refugees, including providing them with refugee documentation.

• Urge Nepal to sign and ratify the UN Conventions on refugees and Stateless Persons

• Build the capacity of Tibetan refugees, particularly the youth living in remote refugee camps

• Hold periodic meetings and other engagements with Tibetan community leaders and activists to understand existing and emerging issues and to make representations to the relevant Nepali authorities about addressing these issues promptly.

• Urge the UNHCR, international human rights organisations as well as domestic NGOs to prioritise the issues faced by Tibetan refugees in their advocacy efforts.

• Consider ways to provide third-country resettlement opportunities for Tibetan refugees by taking Nepali authorities into confidence.

To learn more

1. Read the report

2. Watch the video