German Embassy offers apologies to Speaker Karma Chophel

Wednesday, 29 August 2007, 12:24 p.m.

Dharamshala: The German Embassy in New Delhi has tendered formal apologies for the incident involving the deportation of the Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile by the Federal Airport Police of Frankfurt, and assured that “due to the undoubted integrity of Mr Karma Chophel, he will not be refused another entry into the Federal Republic of Germany”.

On 11 May, Speaker Karma Chophel and eight other Tibetans had boarded the Lufthansa flight no. LH 761 to Frankfurt, where they were to catch a connecting flight to Brussels to attend the 5th International Tibetan Support Group Conference. However, unlike the other Tibetans, when Mr Chophel reported for the connecting flight, he “was controlled by Federal Police for his documentation at the border station at Frankfurt/Main Airport”. (read previous article)

In a letter to the Kalon Tempa Tsering, Rosemarie E. Hille, head of Legal and Consular Department, wrote that the Federal police deported Mr Chophel on the same day back to New Delhi as he “did not have the necessary crossing border documents nor the required visa for transit through the Federal Republic of Germany”.

Regarding the fact that other Tibetans on board the same flight to Frankfurt were allowed to proceed, Ms Hille’s letter said “Further members of the travel group were not identified at airport.”

“Basically implemented rejection is formally and legally correct,” Ms Hille said. “Due to the undoubted integrity of Mr Karma Chophel however, the Federal Ministry of Interior has arranged for that Mr Karma Chophel will not be refused another entry into the Federal Republic of Germany while traveling with the required entry permit.”

“The Embassy would like to express it sincere regrets, also in the name of the Federal Ministry of Interior, about this unfortunate incident and to apologize to Mr. Karma Chophel for the inconveniences occurred,” Ms Hille said.