China sends ‘diplomatic note’ to Nepal over recent Tibetan self immolation

KATHMANDU: The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu recently submitted a diplomatic note to Nepal’s foreign minister over the self immolation carried out by a Tibetan monk in Kathmandu.

The note has reminded Nepal’s Maoist government of its commitment to One-China policy and its subsequent commitment to control Free-Tibet activities in Nepali soil.

The note was submitted following the self-immolation and subsequent death of a Tibetan monk identified as Thundup Dopchen in Kathmandu recently.

In the diplomatic note, Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Yang Houlan has said, ” Nepal is firm with its commitment to one-china policy and I am confident it can avert this kind of incidences in the future,” the Kanatipur Dainik quoted on Tuesday.

“The self immolation incident of Boudha has become an issue of public interest. As an incident that is against the spirit of the Buddhist philosophy, it should be taken seriously,” the report quoted the envoy further.

Nepal is home to around 30 thousand Tibetan refugees scattered around the nation and though time and again there have been Free Tibet movement in Nepal, self immolation by Dopchen was the first ever in Nepal.
The report has claimed that Dopchen had arrived in Kathmandu from Sinchuan province of China with a plan to self immolate on March 10- the day marked as Tibet’s Independence day. However, he had self immolated him by brushing aside the plan that Nepal’s intel was able to gather.

Following the incidence, Nepal has tightened flow of Tibetans via all transits including Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Tatopani among others have been tightened.