Friday, October 6 2006 11:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Tibetan refugees fleeing persecution from Chinese rule to seek asylum in India and Nepal have had to experience severe physical and mental hardship, a survey to be published by the American Journal of Public Health said.

The road is not easy for Tibetan refugees fleeing from Chinese rule to seek asylum in India and Nepal. The new study to be published in the November issue of the journal has found high rates of physical and mental hardship among Tibetan refugees crossing the Himalayan range from China to Nepal.

"We found evidence of severe physical and mental hardships among refugees at the Tibetan refugee transit centre in Kathmandu, Nepal," says senior author Edward Mills, a research fellow with the department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University.

The dangerous journey from China to Nepal, at an average altitude of nearly 14,000 feet across the world's highest mountain range, is attempted by about 2,500 Tibetan refugees every year.

The researchers conducted interviews with 50 recent refugees, including women and children at the refugee centre in Kathmandu and found more than half faced persecution at the hands of both Chinese and Nepalese authorities.

"The study findings indicate systematic violations of the refugee's rights, including torture, extortion, sexual assault and illegal detention," says Mills.

"Many refugees experienced severe health concerns including frostbite, trauma and starvation."

The authors state that international pressures are needed to prevent these human rights violations against this vulnerable population.