Tibetan refugees elect local leaders in Kathmandu

Kathmandu [Nepal], June 7 (ANI): Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu elected their local leaders from Bauddha and Jorpati.
Jorpati is a populated locality and is located in Bagmati Zone, Central Region, while Bauddha is situated nearby to Phubari, and close to Gumba in Nepal.
Although they are living in Nepal as refugees, they have elected Babu Kalsang as their leader by holding local level elections, reported EPARDAFAS.
Babu Kalsang was elected as the chief of the Tibetan refugee camps in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-6, Bauddha and Khampa camps in Jorpati.
In the election, Babu Kalsang got 577 votes and Furbu Tansi got 476 votes. In the election, 1028 votes were cast.
The Nepal government has allowed Tibetan refugees to hold internal elections for the sake of democracy and human rights, reported EPARDAFAS.
Earlier, the government of Nepal had not allowed the election. In this regard, organizations active in the field of refugees were urging the government to hold elections for the Tibetan refugees.
Tibet has been occupied and ruled over by China and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) since 1951 in "a calculated and systematic strategy aimed at the destruction of their national and cultural identities" according to the 14th Dalai Lama.
This has often been described by the Tibetan people as cultural genocide. (ANI)