Seven Tibetans apprehended while crossing into Sikkim

Gangtok, July 11 (UNI) The Army has apprehended seven Tibetan refugees while they were attempting to sneak into Sikkim from Tibet at two different border areas yesterday.

Intelligence sources today said four Tibetan men in their late twenties were caught near Lachung in North Sikkim. They were apprehended by the Army unit posted at the border outpost.

The refugees have been handed over to civilian police at Chungthang, the sources informed.

The apprehended persons are Phuchung (22), Dandu (29), Dorjee Tshering (28) and Topgey (28), sources said.

Meanwhile, in another incident, three young Tibetan women were apprehended by Army unit posted at Tenzim near the Nathula border in East Sikkim yesterday.

All of them were in the age group of 18-19 years and handed to civilian police in East Sikkim, sources informed. The women has been initially identified as Shalang Lakhi, Phu Bhutia and Pema Yaki, sources said.

Tibetans from Tibet Autonomous Region had made similar attempts in the past with the objective to visit Dalai Lama in Dharmasala. The apprehended persons are usually pushed back to Tibet and a similar action is expected to be maintained for the above seven Tibetans.

UNI