From: budaraju@luther.che.wisc.edu (Srinivas Budaraju)
Subject: Appeal - Chinese Refugees in India
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date: 6 Nov 92 11:36:27 CST
Followup-To: soc.culture.indian

I am posting this for Ravi Nair of SAHRDC, New Delhi.

-Srinivas			budaraju@cae.wisc.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------
          SOUTH ASIA HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE
             6/105 Kaushalya Park, Hauz Khas
               New Delhi  110 016,  INDIA
            Phone and Fax: 91-11-686-5736


IND/SKM/1/92       ACTION ALERT     4 NOVEMBER 1992
               CHINESE REFUGEES IN DANGER OF REFOULMENT

The South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) has
received information that seven Chinese nationals are presently
being detained in the Indian border state of Sikkim. Sikkim
borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peoples' Republic of
China. According to reliable sources, the four young men and
three women are being held in Chungthang jail in the Northern
district of Sikkim. All the detainees are reported to be between
the ages of 18 and 22.

According to a source who was able to meet with them in jail, six
were Han Chinese, while one of them was Tibetan. The Tibetan who
spoke a little Hindi was Mr Pempa Tsering. The names of two of
the young women were Ms Chiang Yong Mai and Ms Cheu Yong Mai. It
is learnt that except the Tibetan youth, five of the Chinese
belonged to a town near Shanghai while the sixth belonged to
Beijing.  

It is understood that all the seven refugees have been in
detention for over five months. They were arrested by soldiers
belonging to the Jat (a peasant community in northern India)
regiment of the Indian army while crossing the Indo-Chinese
border. It is reported that two other males were killed when the
Chinese refugees entered an Indian minefield on the border.

The refugees who are afraid that they might be forcibly returned
to the Peoples' Republic of China, are reported to be in good
health but are anxious about their fate.

Please send appeals to:

1) Mr P V Narasimha Rao  
   Prime Minister of India
   South Block
   New Delhi - 110 011, India.
   Ph : (office): (91) (11) 3012587
   Telegrams    : Prime Minister, India

   Telexes      : 3161879 FRGN IN
                  3161880 FRGN IN
   (Via Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
   Fax No : 91-11-301 6781

2) Mr Nar Bahadur Bhandari
   Chief Minister
   Gangtok
   Sikkim, India

Ph: (Office) 91-3592- 2575 or 91- 3592 - 2263
    (Home): 91- 3592 - 2304
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In your communications :

1. Request that the Chinese refugees not be returned to the Peoples' 
Republic of China.

2. Request that they be brought to New Delhi and presented to 
the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) office to 
enable the office to verify their claims and provide them it's 
protection services.

Foreign subscribers and supporters are requested to send copies
of their appeals to the Indian Diplomatic representation in their
country. Indian subscribers and supporters are requested to
organise mass appeals to the above mentioned government
authorities.

Please send copies of your communications addressed to the Indian
authorities to SAHRDC to enable us to keep you informed about any
further developments. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china