In 'Tibet, Tibet' (#150) Sara Shneiderman and Mark Turin bring up cogent points questioning our proposed boycott of travel to Nepal- a suggestion made in the wake of Nepal's repatriation of 18 Tibetan refugees, a stark violation of international law. Some of the authors' points are naive, however, and must be addressed.

Both Ethical Traveler and the Tibet Justice Center, partners in this action, acknowledge the fact that a Tibetan monk, Shovo, was appropriately handed over to the UNHCR this past weekend. We thank the Nepal government for this sign of humanity, and take it as a commitment to legal and ethical behaviour in the future.

Still, as Shneiderman and Turin point out, Nepal's human rights situation is alarming, despite the nascent 'democracy' installed in 1990. The Nepali citizens suffering these abuses at least have the constitutional right of redress-and the right to overthrow any government, democratic or otherwise, that denies these rights. But the deportation of the 18 Tibetan refugee men, women and children, who have utterly no rights under Nepal's law, was a cynical act of kowtowing, and had to be discouraged at all costs. The fact that the government actually accepted money for these refugees made them appear no better than slave-traders.

The idea that the international activist community is too intimidated to challenge China directly is absurd. We have been involved in numerous such movements, especially in the early 1990s, against China?s prison labour abuses, which led to immediate investigations. A boycott of Chinese imports was indeed launched, but the attempt to pressure China economically proved untenable due to US industrial interests. Most Favoured Nation status was prematurely granted to China in 1994 by then-president Bill Clinton.

China is still being scrutinised and pressured by numerous action groups. Nothing that China has done, however, excuses Nepal's actions. Over the past 40 years, the US government alone has provided Nepal's government with more than $700 million in aid. Most of this aid has been squandered, wasted, or just plain stolen. Somehow, this is never the Nepali government's fault, the blame is always shunted elsewhere. In this situation, too, confronted by the international press, the government of Nepal offered up lies and excuses. "Hey, we didn't do anything wrong! This is all normal! Anyway, it's all China's fault!" Sorry, guys. The US government has its own agenda, but any traveller who pays your hefty visa fees has a right to say: "You want my money? Then abide by international law."

No one who has read Jeff Greenwald's books or articles doubts his respect and admiration for your country, culture, and people. He has been advocating for human rights in Nepal since the mid-1980s, as his controversial book, Shopping for Buddhas, makes clear. Neither Ethical Traveler nor the Tibet Justice Center has any wish to harm Nepalis who depend on the tourism trade.

Here is our current position. After consulting with several other human rights and Tibetan activist groups, Ethical Traveler and the Tibet Justice Center-the authors of a key report on the refugee crisis (www.tibetjustice.org/reports/nepal.pdf)-have decided to withhold action on the proposed tourism boycott.

This said, we are by no means taking Nepal out of the spotlight on this issue. We have instead developed a strategy that will better serve the concerns of Tibetans and Nepalis who rely upon tourism for their livelihoods. To begin with, we are issuing an advisory, asking that travellers planning to visit Nepal do so with open eyes, and with full awareness that Nepal is on notice. We also ask that travellers within Nepal, whenever possible and appropriate, express their concern directly to Department of Immigration officials, and to other authorities.

Most importantly, we ask that travellers in Nepal serve as "witnesses" helping the international human rights community monitor the fate not just of Tibetans who have crossed the Himalaya seeking refuge, but of other Nepalis suffering from human rights abuses.

The goal of Ethical Traveler is to promote travel, not curtail it. Yet travellers must be ready to use our combined economic clout, when necessary. If the government of Nepal continues to repatriate Tibetan refugees in violation of these laws, sending shackled Tibetan refugees back to Chinese prisons, stronger measures will need to be taken. Assuredly, they will be taken-and not just by travellers, as the US Senate's killing of a recent Nepal garment trade bill attests.

We hope that, should further actions become necessary, all Nepalis will support whatever actions Ethical Traveler and the human rights community suggests. Respecting international law is not just a good thing for Tibetan refugees, it is an essential condition for the peaceful coexistence and true democracy so beautifully articulated by the late King Birendra in his call for a Zone of Peace.

Jeff Greenwald
Executive Director, Ethical Traveler
Minnie Cancellaro
Executive Director, Tibet Justice Center