Tibetan Refugees Trying to Cross into China held in Kashmir

[KhmerSpirits]

Srinagar, India, April 6, IRNA
India-Kashmir-Tibet
Police in Indian controlled Kashmir detained at least seventeen Tibetan refugees while trying to cross the border into China.

A police officer told IRNA, the Tibetans were held in frontier Kashmiri region of Ladakh and detained for violating the "inner line permit" under section 4 of the Public Safety Act.

Act promulgated in 1978 empowers the state government to detain a person without trial for two years for 'maintenance of public order'.

"The group of 17 Tibetans were attempting to cross the Opsi police post without a permit, and possibly intended to cross the Indo-Chinese border to enter Chinese territory", a police officer said.

Superintendent of police for Ladakh, Alok Kumar, said that a special permit called the inner line permit is required to enter some specific areas in Leh.

When the Tibetans tried to cross the check-post without a permit, the police received a confirmed report and took the group into custody, he said.

"The Tibetan refugees have tried to violate section 4 of the Public Safety Act, and have been detained as a result," he said, adding that movement of ordinary citizens, besides all foreigners, into the area was banned and unauthorised entry was considered illegal.