Tibetan harassment on rise: US

THT Online

KATHMANDU: The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom which was released by United States’ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour says that Tibetan Buddhists faced various restrictions, including outright interference and often an intimidating police presence during their religious celebrations in Nepal. The report records the status of respect for religious freedom in all countries during the period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. The Annual Report's primary focus is on the actions of governments, including those that contribute to religious repression or tolerate violence against religious minorities as well as those that protect and promote religious freedom.

The report said that Nepal Government generally respected religious freedom during the reporting period, although on a few occasions it interfered with the practice of a religious group. The interim Constitution officially declared the country a secular state; however, the President, in his capacity as head of state, attended major Hindu religious ceremonies over which the King previously presided, the report said. Members of minority religious groups occasionally reported police harassment. There was a marked increase in the harassment of the Tibetan community. Authorities stopped Tibetan religious gatherings with political overtones and arrested some participants. There was often substantial police presence at purely religious gatherings, the report added.

The report also pointed out that adherents of the country's many religious groups generally coexisted peacefully and respected places of worship, although there were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Those who converted to a different religious group occasionally faced violence and were ostracized socially but generally did not fear admitting their affiliations in public.

The report stated that Tibetan Buddhists faced various restrictions, including outright interference and often an intimidating police presence during their religious celebrations. Local authorities tolerated celebration of Tibetan religious festivals only on private property. The report noted that during one religious event on private property for which advance permission had been obtained, police confiscated and burned a picture of the Dalai Lama. The Government mounted a campaign of steadily increasing intimidation against the Tibetan community, successfully shutting down protest activities and severely constraining even purely religious events, the report added.