Japan withholds data on Nepal’s ambassador nominee — Kathmandu Post

Japan has refused to provide a Nepalese parliamentary committee with information about Jigyan Kumar Thapa, the nominee for ambassador to Tokyo, citing the confidentiality of personal data. The committee is examining whether Thapa held permanent resident status in Japan and whether he received payments or other benefits from that country’s public funds, Kathmandu Post reports.

Review of the nomination

The committee twice asked Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain information from the Japanese side about Thapa’s residency status, financial obligations and possible ties to Japanese state institutions. The ministry sent the relevant requests to Nepal’s embassy in Tokyo.

According to Nepal’s foreign ministry, the Japanese side said it could not disclose information about the nominee’s financial affairs, family and other personal circumstances. The committee asked the ministry to provide this response in writing.

In documents submitted to the committee, Thapa listed work, among other positions, at the Kanagawa International Foundation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, as well as cooperation with Japanese ministries, universities and other organizations.

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Deadline for a decision

Nepal’s Cabinet proposed ambassadorial nominees for 13 countries on September 18, and they were referred to the parliamentary committee on September 23. Under the rules, the committee must complete hearings and send its decision within 45 days; in Thapa’s case, the deadline expires on November 5.

Committee chair Bodh Narayan Shrestha said the body’s members must make a decision on the nomination within the established time limit. Nepal’s rules for appointing ambassadors stipulate that nominees must not hold permanent or temporary residence permits abroad or have a conflict of interest in the country of their future posting.

During the hearings, Thapa said that he renounced his Japanese permanent residency in March. At the same time, his wife and sons, he said, retain that status. Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the committee that it had not received documentary confirmation that Thapa had renounced permanent residence in Japan.