China finally put its foot down and restricted movement at its border with a northern Nepal district, leading to food scarcity in the area. Mustang, depending entirely on Tibet for its food and ration supplies, has been reeling under a virtual famine since the Chinese authorities, Mustang does not have a direct road link with Kathmandu. Earlier, locals used to cross the Tibetan border to get their daily ration and other supplies and it worked well till May.
China has halted issuing visas to visitors from Nepal and imposed restrictions on local Nepalese who used to cross the border for supplies, officials said, Chinese Ambassador Zheng Xialing had recently asked the Nepal government to severe punishment for Tibetans holding freedom protests in Nepal.
500 Nepalese of Tibetan origin had been recruited from eastern Nepal’s remote Sankhuwasabha area to form a ”religious army” loyal to the Dalai Lama.