European Parliament Urged Nepal to Reopen Tibetan Office

Tuesday, 25 July 2006, 12:30 p.m.

A file photo of Thomas Mann, president of the European Parliament Tibet Inter-group, addressing the media here on 3 March 2006.

Dharamshala: A delegation of the European Parliament on a six-day mission to Nepal, has urged the government that country on “the necessity of opening again” the Tibetan Welfare Office, adding that it is impossible to declare Tibetan refugees there as “illegal”.

Addressing the Tibetan media, the president of the Tibet Inter Group in the European Parliament, Thomas Mann, was quoted by phayul.com as saying that “Tibetans have the right to have this Tibetan Welfare Office and not like an NGO or other names.

“We had the opportunity to meet authorities from Nepal, from the government and also some parliamentarians and leaders of NGOs. Whoever we met in the last few days, we have urged the necessity of opening again this Welfare Center and we tried the best to convince them but of course there was no clear answer.

“I think the most important was that we always table the questions of Tibetan refugees. It is impossible to declare the existence of people staying here as illegal. They have the right to have these identity and refugee cards. They have the right to stay here and later on go to India and other places.”

When asked about the position of the EP on the resettlement of Nepal Tibetans in the United States, Mr. Mann said, “There is no doubt that they are trying to help personally, individually, and also for the whole Tibetan society.

“When we meet again in European Parliament, also with friends of the European Commission and the European Council, we will [convey to them] that this (Tibetan welfare) Center is very important. All the people should have the opportunity to be here. This (US resettlement) only could be one of the solutions but we should have more solutions.”

(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.)