Kathmandu: Is it possible to demonstrate on the streets demanding that cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane should be given a US visa anyway? Experts in international law say, ‘Any sovereign country’s decision to grant or not grant visas to citizens of other countries is a right vested in the respective country.’
According to Balram KC, an expert in international law and a former judge, it is not right to protest or raise slogans demanding visas. “A sovereign country has the right to decide whether or not to grant a visa to a citizen of any country,” says former Supreme Court judge Casey, “a sovereign country cannot protest or demonstrate because it does not grant a visa to anyone.”
Sandeep’s supporters gathered at Maitighar on Wednesday demanding a visa to play in the T20 World Cup. Similarly, other supporters demonstrated in New Baneshwar and Maharajganj. MP Gyanendra Shahi was also present at the demonstration. The demand for it on social media was intense. Commenting on the US and the US Embassy remained the same.
Former judge KC calls such activities cheap popularity. “According to the Vienna Convention, the relevant embassy is sovereign in making decisions. The laws of the sending country do not apply. There should be no pressure to grant visas through street demonstrations.
It is a matter for the foreign minister to talk to the relevant government through the embassy through diplomatic means,’ says former judge Casey, ‘Nowhere in the world have we seen the trend of protesting or protesting for visas.’ According to KC, the US had not granted visas even to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past. However, there was no protest on the streets because they were not given visas.
Anthropologist Janak Rai says that there is a tendency for political parties to exploit mob rule. According to the same plan, he said that Shahi, who is also the spokesperson of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, came to the road. There is a tendency to use the crowd for their favorable advantage by the leaders of the political parties. This is a form of that trend,’ says anthropologist Rai, ‘street demonstrations demanding visas do not send a good message.’
Generally, the foreign policy of any country is considered as an extension of the internal policy adopted by that country. The government has informed that the American Embassy has the right to refuse to grant a visa to cricketer Sandeep. Information and Communication Minister Rekha Sharma, who is also the spokesperson of the government, said that the embassy has the right to not grant visa to cricketer Sandeep even if the government takes the initiative. “Even though the government has taken the initiative to grant visas to the United States to play the World Cup, it is the embassy’s right to grant visas or not,” she said.
Sandeep had applied for an American visa to play in the upcoming World Cup in America. On Wednesday, Lamichhane informed on social media that he did not get the visa. The US Embassy has refused to issue a visa to Sandeep even after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note. Sandeep, who reached the embassy for an interview last Wednesday, was also denied a visa for the second time.
According to former speaker and constitutionalist Damannath Dhungana, there is no question about the issue of visa not being given. “We cannot question the right of any country not to grant a visa to anyone to enter their country,” he said.
The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) issued a statement saying that the American Embassy did not grant Sandeep a visa despite the coordination between the government and the ICC. CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand has mentioned on social media that Sandeep did not get a visa despite being informed that he was included in the 15-member squad of Nepal. Lamichhane, who is also going to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2019, was initially denied a visa by the US Embassy.
Sandeep was acquitted by the Patan High Court even though he was found guilty by the District Court of Kathmandu on the charge of extortion. After that, Can also made Sandeep participate in the Nepali team that will play the Twenty20 World Cup.
Other Nepali players have already reached America for World Cup cricket. Some US embassy officials also met the cricket team to encourage them before the departure. The embassy official also wished the entire team for the upcoming matches.
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