Yangdon Chorasherpa in an undated photo. Source- Tages Anzeiger
By Tenzin Dharpo (Phayul.com): A Tibetan woman who was deported from Switzerland is reportedly detained in a Kathmandu prison by Nepali police on her arrival from the European country on Feb. 1. Yangdon Chorasherpa (last name appears to be acquired for document) continues to be prison in Kathmandu where her conditions after suffering from a febrile infection seems to be getting critical, according to reports.
Last month, Swiss apex body on immigration, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) deported Yangdon Chorasherpa, a Tibetan, on the grounds for seeking asylum on Nepali documentation where she mentioned she was a Nepalese national.
Although the technicality may amount to fraud, such attempts by Tibetan refugees to just get entry into Europe are a desperate act, says Michael Flueckiger of Swiss Refugee Relief. He was quoted by Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger as saying, “It is almost impossible for Tibetans to come to Europe with real papers. Although they are officially Chinese (Swiss govt. recognizes Tibet as a part of China), they usually have no Chinese papers. And if they had such, they would not get a visa.”
Nepal which many say has strong, even a subordinate role with China is a country wrought on political instability and especially inhabitable for Tibetan refugees due to China’s over extended reaches in the tiny Himalayan country. “It would be considered potentially dangerous for the country’s stability,” Iona Liddell, executive director of the Tibet Justice Center in Oakland, California, told TA.
The Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE) on their official Facebook page wrote, “This action taken by the (Swiss) authorities is shocking especially since Chinese influence in Nepal is immense and well known. Yangdon is still in detention; her condition continues to be critical.
Yangdon was a TYAE member and an appreciated Tibetan teacher in Switzerland for Tibetan children. Since the day of her arrest in Zurich TYAE has been working together with a team of friends, lawyers and other organizations to help Yangdon. We demand her immediate return to Switzerland!”
The 27 year old Tibetan woman first came to Switzerland almost three years ago in 2014 and was a volunteer teacher who taught Tibetan to children in Zurich.
She was reported to be arrested on 30 January last month in the asylum shelter in Zurich-Altstetten, two days later on Feb. 1 she was deported to Nepal where she was detained by Nepalese authorities.
