Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, Nov 27 - Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal has sent a letter to Jigme Singye Wangchuk, former king of Bhutan, requesting him to facilitate the early repartition of all Bhutanese refugees languishing in seven camps in eastern Nepal.
In his appeal to Druk monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuk, Rizal said the sufferings of refugees, who have been forced out of their homeland, would always haunt the monarchy of Bhutan.
After the 15th round of talks between Nepal and Bhutan failed to resolve the long-standing problem, Bhutanese refugees were given the option of resettling in eight countries, including the United States.
"We had hoped that you would resolve our problem. But your abrupt abdication has saddened us," the Bhutanese leader said.
He said Bhutan would lose its prestige further if it failed to resolve the refugee imbroglio.
Rizal, who also served as the people's representative of Bhutan and adviser to the royal council, asked the former monarch to review his perception about Bhutanese refugees through study and consultations with experts.
The Bhutanese leader argued that the ruling system adopted in Bhutan cannot be called democracy as it has failed to deliver justice to people. He congratulated the former king for handing over the throne to his son Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Missive to Jigme on refugee repatriation
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
After 16 Years in a Refugee Camp, Bhutanese Find a Home in Chicago
He remembers the eight-hour bus ride through India and upon their arrival, the sight of a singular gas-burning lamp shining in the blackness. Except for that light, he couldn't see anything around him -- not the tall, scrubby trees surrounding the camp or the snowy peaks in the distance.
Too young to remember his native Bhutan or the tiny country's sudden shift toward nationalism and the violence that followed, Khatiwada has only distant memories of the day his parents told him it was time to leave home. They didn't tell him why or where they were going.
Bishnu Khatiwada, left, with his brother Durga and sister Pabrita
Khatiwada was the first of his family to arrive to Chicago this March. His parents and siblings followed in July. They are among the 60,000 Bhutanese refugees the United States is offering to resettle within its borders, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
But for 16 years Khatiwada and his family lived in Beldagi II, one of Nepal's seven refugee camps. There are more than 107,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, according to the UNHCR.
"The government virtually expelled the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese," said Merrill Smith, director of government relations at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. "There was mob violence and family's homes were burned down."
Landlocked between China and India, Bhutan is a predominantly Buddhist country. In the late 1980s, the government took away the citizenship of the rising Hindu minority -- the Lhotshampas -- in southern Bhutan.
Khatiwada and his family, like other Lhotshampas, are of Nepali descent and were prohibited from practicing their traditional customs, speaking their native languages and attending school. In the early 1990s, amidst the arbitrary imprisonment and torture of protestors, thousands of Bhutanese fled to Nepal.
Sitting cross-legged in his family's drafty Roger's Park living room, Khatiwada wears jeans, a gray long-sleeve shirt and a black puffy coat. He chuckles when he says that American students call him "westernized." He talks about speaking to high school students recently about Bhutanese culture, as he checks his cell phone.
Khatiwada's mom, Bhima, enters with a tray of creamy, sweet spiced tea. She wears a white, knit winter hat and has a large, golden stud in her thin nose.
Khatiwada and his dad, Tara, comment on the increased amount of coffee they now drink. The loud conversation of the next-door neighbors is audible through the bare, white walls.
"I don't like Starbucks coffee," he says, with a wince and a quick head shake, his shiny, black hair falling in wisps over his forehead. "It's too bitter. That's why I drink Dunkin' Donuts. But [Starbucks] hot chocolate... it is so good."
Despite Khatiwada's identity as a refugee, he's like most 22-year-olds. He surfs the web, considers getting his bachelor's degree, likes to play guitar -- especially Bad Company and Brian Adams. He has a job setting up banquet rooms at the Peninsula Hotel.
"He was the quickest [refugee] to find employment," said Joe Carroll, job developer at Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries. The Uptown center is helping the Khatiwada family resettle.
On average, said Carroll, it takes about three to four months for refugees to find employment. But Khatiwada got his after about a month. Carroll attributes Khatiwada's high English proficiency as "the main factor" in his speedy placement.
"He was already fluent and had the look; he's young, good looking, friendly -- they liked him," said Carroll.
But the transition from the refugee camp to Chicago wasn't easy.
"When he came first here," said his father Tara, in a soft-spoken voice, "I heard that he was scared."
Carrol met Khatiwada at the airport the day he arrived. Interfaith assists refugees in the resettlement process by finding affordable apartments and filling them with basic furniture and food. But more importantly, they serve as a friendly face for refugees who arrive on their own.
"He was very quiet at first," said Carroll. "He used to come to the office every day and hang out... he didn't have the community he was used to. He was the only Bhutanese we had."
The family decided together that Khatiwada would come to Chicago on his own while the rest of them finalized paperwork in Nepal, said Tara Khatiwada. They decided Khatiwada's brother, Durga, 20, and his sister Pabrita, 17, were too young.
He knew he had to get a job right away, said Carroll. He was "very good about thinking about responsibility... he knew he had to be the bread winner."
"Being a refugee is not good," said Khatiwada. But, he said, with his straight, white teeth beaming, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to start a new life in my new home."
Demonstrations for repatriation
The demonstrations were organised in the initiative of United Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Programming Council. According to Dilli Ram Ghorsai, an exiled leader who participated the sit-in at Mechi Bridge, they demonstrated peacefully urging India to allow them return home through Indian soil.
Indian security personnel deployed in the area barred the demonstrators cross the Mechi Bridge into India, after which the demonstrators organised sit-in protests.
Similarly, UBRRPC organized sit-in program in Beldangi camp coinciding the visit to Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to Kathmandu. Few hundred exiled Bhutanese participated the sit-in demonstration. Additionally, 406 exiled Bhutanese jointly wrote a letter to Mukherjee and sent him through Indian embassy in Kathmandu seeking Indian support for solution of the refugee crisis. Bhutan News Service
Monday, November 24, 2008
Next destination "Holland"
"We will start the resettlement process of refugees from tomorrow", told camp secretary TB Gurung quoting one of the delegates as saying.
The exact figure of the exiled Bhutanese Holland is going to accept was not disclosed during the visit.
"We were just informed that a few refugees will fly to Holland", added Gurung.
There some more than three dozens of Bhutanese taking shelter in Holland.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Nepal: US Offer to Resettle Bhutanese Refugees Sparks Tensions
Source: Human Rights Watch
A US offer to resettle 60,000 Bhutanese refugees has given hope to many of the 106,000 refugees living in Nepal for more than 16 years, but has also heightened tensions in the camps, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Refugees who insist on repatriation as the only acceptable solution have been threatening and intimidating those who voice support for resettlement in the US.
The Bhutanese refugee crisis began in 1991 when Bhutan began to expel ethnic Nepalis, a policy that resulted in the expulsion of one-sixth of the country’s population. But since the announcement of the US offer in October 2006, groups of refugees who insist that the only acceptable solution is return to Bhutan have threatened refugees favorable to resettlement.
“Refugees fundamentally have the right to return to a country that expelled them,” said Bill Frelick, refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch. “But all refugees also have the right to make essential choices about their lives without threats and intimidation.”
The 86-page report, “Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India,” discusses the possible solutions to this protracted refugee situation and the choices the refugees now face. It describes conditions of the ethnic Nepali refugees who have languished in exile in Nepal and India, and also documents continuing discrimination against the ethnic Nepalis still living in Bhutan, who live in fear that they too could be stripped of their citizenship and expelled from the country.
“While repatriation would be the best option for most refugees, it can only be viable if Bhutan upholds its duty to guarantee the returnees’ human rights,” said Frelick. “Until then, repatriation to Bhutan cannot be promoted as a durable solution for the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.”
So far, Bhutan has not allowed a single refugee to return. Consequently, the refugees have endured years in cramped camps with no prospects for solutions. The report documents life in the camps and domestic violence and other social problems that have come after protracted periods in closed camps.
“We don’t want to be dependent on others,” a Bhutanese refugee told Human Rights Watch. “Half our lives have been spent as refugees. We don’t want that tag on our children’s forehead. We want them to be proud citizens.”
Since the announcement of the US resettlement offer, tensions in the camps have been building. Partly, this is because of rumors and misinformation about the nature of the offer itself. It is also due to intimidation by groups militantly opposed to resettlement who insist that the only acceptable solution is return to Bhutan.
“People feel insecure,” said a young man. “If others hear you are looking for other options than repatriation, they will condemn you as not favoring repatriation, or diluting the prospects for repatriation. Others will accuse you of having no love for the country.”
Human Rights Watch called on the Nepalese government to prosecute intimidators who threaten or harm those who exercise their rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and association.
“Before any solutions can be achieved, Nepal must provide sufficient security in the camps to enable refugees to express their opinions and exchange information freely,” said Frelick.
The report discusses the possible solutions to this protracted refugee situation and the choices the refugees now face.
“To be effective, the US resettlement offer cannot operate in isolation,” said Frelick. “The Bhutanese refugees need genuine choices.”
This requires a three-pronged strategy. First, resettlement should be a real option for as many refugees as want it. This means that other countries should join in a coordinated effort to maximize the number of resettlement places. Bhutanese refugees living outside the camps in Nepal and India should also be eligible. Nepal should cooperate on the resettlement option, in particular, by issuing exit permits without delay to refugees accepted for resettlement.
Second, Nepal should grant citizenship to those refugees who express a preference for local integration over resettlement or repatriation. Finally, the United States, India and other countries should redouble their efforts to persuade Bhutan to allow refugees who want to repatriate to do so under conditions that are compatible with human rights law.
“The possibility that many refugees may now choose other options should make it much easier for Bhutan to accept repatriation,” said Frelick. “Resettlement countries should press Bhutan for a genuinely comprehensive solution to this protracted refugee situation.”
King Kesar, President Obama and The Tug of Refugees
By Govinda Rizal
In the first week of November, 2008 when Barack Hussain Obama was being elected President of colossal USA, the people of tiny Bhutan were celebrating the coronation of a new monarch. The two newly destined rulers have many things in common and many things uncommon. While president elect Obama is elected for the next four years, Monarch Kesar can chose to rule as long as he wishes or lives. Both leaders are young in their respective peoples' expectation and people of both countries are more hopeful about them than they were with their predecessors.
The issue of Bhutanese refugees is the single string that ties the two and yet keeps them in a distance. Hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese refugees who make up more than one sixth of Bhutan's population, were chased from the country by the former monarch, the present monarch's father, for opposing his rules. These people who were unable to live under the former king's brutal administration, to save their lives fled under the cover of darkness. They lived in exile in India and Nepal for two decades, hopefully waiting for the king to think like them. The king did not change his mind nor could the people change him.
The people who have their citizenship and nationality at stake, who on charges of opposing the king's rule had their citizenship revoked and were made stateless, expect a change in the law to make it accommodative for them. More than the law, the reality is that the land and property owned by them were usurped by the king. All possible allegations have been made against them, to make the already repressed fugitives unable to return and claim their lost legacy. For decades, these people languished in camps, scraped a living with the UNHCR providing food. They always have had an expectation; an international body to see and understand them, talk on their behalf to their monarch to allow them back home. Their expectations were never met.
Their plight in the refugee camps, in the subhuman conditions, won the hearts of American people who graciously invited them to stay in America with them. Today there is a long chain of Bhutanese people and their relatives, right from Bhutan via the refugee camps to the United States of America. At the two ends of the human chain there are new leaders. The Monarch Kesar is in the source and President Obama in the end of the long line of refugees.
For both the leaders to be clear, all these people want to return to Bhutan, but not all may return. As long as all the willing people are not allowed to return, the wound of Bhutanese society will remain cancerous. The expectations from the new leaders are high. Despite his intricate responsibilities, President Obama is expected to listen to sixty thousand Bhutanese minorities being settled in USA, and say to the new monarch of Bhutan to take back his people from exile, win their hearts, earn their appreciation, respect and fulfill a royal obligation.
Will a day come soon, when the two leaders will meet somewhere in the world, talk of these people who connect them, who bind them and who expect from them?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Refugee Resettlement, Is It Being Carried Out Fairly?
Heavy response
Not taken seriously in the initial stage, the TCR offer that began in the midst of an insecure atmosphere has attracted more than 50,000 individuals. They have submitted their declaration of interest to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The latest data show that majority of the Bhutanese refugees have shown interest in getting resettled in third countries.
But there have been instances of corruption inside the refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts, which have been reported in the media time and again. And there is police suspicion that a racket has been involved in trying to slip non-Bhutanese into the resettlement programme. This is one of the serious concerns of the authorities involved in resettling the Bhutanese refugees of Nepali origin in third countries.
Following the arrest of one Amrita Darjee, 30, a temporary resident of Beldangi-II camp under Sector D/1-16, who confessed to charges of forgery in the resettlement process, the question of infiltration of non-Bhutanese in the resettlement programme has been raised.
Some 100,000 refugees fled Bhutan in the early Nineties to flee suppression by the Bhutanese authorities. These refugees have been living in camps in eastern Nepal since the past 17 years, and the resettlement programme in a third country offers a ray of hope for a better future.
The writer of this piece came across many refugees inside the camps who complained that they were not allowed to re-register until a bribe was issued to the Refugee Coordination Unit (RCU). Many refugees are scared to disclose the reality to media persons about having paid a bribe to the RCU stationed inside the camps.
There are a number of refugees inside the camps who say that even some members of the refugee Registration Team (RT) are refusing to register them. A refugee from Beldangi-II camp, on condition of anonymity, said that he gave Rs. 7,000 to a member of the RT in order to get a refugee status. This is corruption at the highest level since the Registration Team comprises representatives of the UNHCR and Nepal government.
Verification and re-registration of Bhutanese, not registered as refugees earlier, is not moving in a fair and impartial way since officials at the RT are learnt to ask for money. The UNHCR as well as the Government of Nepal should, therefore, look into the ongoing corruption in the TCR programme.
On the other side, the ongoing corruption inside the camps has pushed back vulnerable refugees, since they are not given priority during the resettlement process. As the offer of resettlement is free of cost, the authorities concerned, particularly the UNHCR and Government of Nepal, should be serious towards discouraging such practices inside the camps.
The corrupt officials should not be allowed to go scot free since such incidents will only encourage more of such corruption. It’s certain that the growing corruption in the resettlement programme will derail the TCR programme. And this will only invite frustration in those refugees who are interested in getting resettled in third countries.
Possibilities of fraud cannot be ignored. But genuine Bhutanese refugees should not be denied from resettling in third countries should they meet all the requirements. Sorting out vulnerable refugees is the need of the hour. It is to be noted that already a significant number of refugees, having a sound wealth background, have been resettled in different countries, most of them in the US. But poor vulnerable refugees seem to struggling to be resettled as early as possible. This is a matter of serious concern.
Maoist involvement
This writer also came across many refugees whose process for resettlement was scuttled by the UNHCR for alleged involvement in Maoist-related activities inside the camps. Investigation of such cases should be carried out in a free, impartial and fair manner to ensure that no innocent refugee becomes a victim. Not only this, the authorities are even learnt to have warned the refugees not to disclose that their process for resettlement had been halted.
(Mishra is a Bhutanese journalist in exile in Nepal. He can be reached at: mishratp@gmail.com)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bhutan’s "Nelson Mandela" driven to Nepal refugee camp
Kathmandu, Nov 15 (IANS) A 45-year-old Bhutanese of Nepali origin, who was released from prison after 17 years by the Bhutan government this month, has been forced to take shelter in refugee camps in Nepal.
The expulsion of Dhan Kumar Rai, dubbed the Nelson Mandela of Bhutan by Nepal’s media for his long imprisonment, comes after the coronation of a new king and Bhutan’s well-publicised plans of reform and modernisation.
Rai, who arrived in Kathmandu for medical treatment Friday, is suffering from heart and mental problems.
One of the founding members of the exiled Bhutan People’s Party, he was earlier forced to leave Bhutan in 1989 when the Druk government began a crackdown on ethnic citizens, especially those of Nepali origin.
He fled to West Bengal in India where two years after his escape he was arrested by police from the Dooars area and handed over to Bhutan. The 28-year-old was accused of sedition, terrorism and attempt to murder and was sent to the central prison.
Rai says there were 74 more Nepali-speaking Bhutanese prisoners in the same prison block.
Rai and three other political prisoners of Nepali origin - Manbahadur Moktan, Ratna Thapa and Indrajit Pulami - were released Nov 1, five days before the coronation of Bhutan’s fifth king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, reportedly due to pressure by the International Red Cross Society and other international human rights organisations.
However, he could not view the three-day lavish coronation ceremony. Rai was given 48 hours to quit Bhutan.
On Nov 5, he arrived in Khudunabari in east Nepal where his brother and other family members have been living since fleeing Bhutan in the 1980s.
The freed activist says there are still about 100 political prisoners in the Chemgang Jail where he was held. He says he saw six prisoners die due to torture inside the prison.
Rai’s arrival in Nepal comes at a time when the previous government of Nepal, despairing of ever getting Bhutan to agree to take back the over 100,000 refugees languishing in Nepal, gave its nod to six Western countries to resettle the refugees.
Over 6,000 refugees have left the camps and are now trying to make a new life for themselves in the US, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In the coming days, more refugees are likely to be resettled abroad.
The exodus is being opposed by exiled Bhutanese political parties who feel if the camps are empty, Bhutan will be emboldened to evict still more ethnic citizens.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Bhutan’s forgotten citizens
By Bhumika Ghimire
West Lafayette, IN, United States, — Bhutan celebrated the coronation of its new king last week. The 28-year-old Oxford-educated bachelor Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck assumed leadership of a nation that is just beginning to take baby steps toward modernization. The country held its first democratic elections in March 2008 and only recently allowed satellite television and Internet access.
Bhutanese call their country “Druk Yul,” which means “Land of Thunder Dragon.” The country has been described by many as the ultimate tourist destination, untouched by the hazards of the modern world, with a perfectly preserved environment and undisturbed ancient culture.
Unfortunately for the new king, integrating Bhutan with the modern world while keeping its natural and cultural heritage is not the only challenge on hand. For the last 17 years, the country has been wrestling with a major issue, which surprisingly was not mentioned or discussed during the lengthy and lavish coronation celebrations.
King Jigme Khesar’s father, Jigme Singye, came up with a plan for a more homogeneous Bhutan during the 1990s. He wanted Bhutan to have one culture, one language and even imposed a dress code. The problem with his ideal was that his country was not homogeneous. Significant numbers of ethnic Nepalese were living in the country. They had their own language, culture and religious beliefs.
Not to be deterred, Jigme Singye decided to throw out the “undesirable Nepalese” and create a perfect Bhutan. As a result, more than 100,000 ethnic Nepalese were left stateless.
Nepal and Bhutan don’t share a border; the two countries are separated by the Indian state of Sikkim. Indian authorities allowed safe passage for the refugees to enter Nepal. The circumstances under which the refugees were escorted into Nepal are often disputed, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that the scene was definitely neither pretty nor peaceful.
With India’s help, Bhutan successfully got rid of more than 100,000 of its ethnic Nepalese citizens. Those refugees are now living in camps funded by the United Nations in and around Nepal’s Jhapa district.
For more than a decade, Nepal and Bhutan have been wrangling about the refugee issue. India has refused to get involved. Not a single refugee has been repatriated and all the diplomatic efforts have produced almost zero results – except for protracting the debate.
It was disheartening to see that Bhutan’s new king did not make any move toward reconciliation or show any concern toward his citizens suffering in a foreign land. In his message to the nation after coronation, King Jigme Khesar promised to keep Bhutan safe from “outside influences” and emphasized preserving the country’s heritage, but he chose to forget about the refugees.
Bhutanese refugees have urged their new king to allow them back home. They have asked the Nepalese government for help. But the Maoist-led government is in no position to save the Bhutanese; in fact, it is in no position to save itself. Bitter fighting among various political parties over the issue of integrating former Maoist fighters into the Nepalese Army could very well cause the government’s collapse.
Who is going to stand up and fight for the refugees then? At this time the answer is, sadly, no one. The international community, including the United States, has decided to take the easy route. They have decided to resettle the refugees in a third country. Already, some refugees have been taken in by the United States and Australia, and some will be going to Europe.
It is better to provide a stable home and citizenship to the refugees instead of leaving them to languish in camps for years without any legal status. But if we keep ignoring abuses like the one committed by Bhutan and keep cleaning up their messes, aren’t we empowering the abuser?
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(Bhumika Ghimire is a freelance reporter. Her articles have been published at OhMyNews, NepalNews, Toward Freedom, Telegraph Nepal, Himal South Asian and ACM Ubiquity. She is also a regular contributor to News Front Weekly, in Kathmandu, and Nepal Abroad, in Washington D.C. She can be reached at bhumika_g@yahoo.com. ©Copyright Bhumika Ghimire.)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
US and Indian Policy Paradox
Source: The Seoul Times
By Bhim Prasad Bhurtel
US president Bush has announced two key policies at the second term presidential inaugural address; 'expansion of freedom' and 'export of democracy' in the world. However, in Bhutanese case Bush's policies are paradoxical. The USA, Canada, Australia and Norway are planning to resettle about 80000 Bhutanese refugees who are staying in Nepal since last 16 years in their land as initiated by USA.
One-sixth of Bhutanese population is exiled in Nepal since 16 years following their ouster from Bhutan claiming that they are non-Bhutanese by the establishment. Bhutan is landlocked country and refugees entered Nepal via Indian path. The refugees consider themselves only to be Bhutanese nationals no other else. They want a dignified and esteemed return to their homeland. However, they are victims of political apathy of the Bhutanese government that does not consider them Bhutanese nationals. The establishment has already redistributed their land to others and is not interested in ensuring their repatriation.
The Bhutanese refugees were permitted to enter Nepal on Humanitarian ground or else it would be the problem of India and Bhutan. The Nepalese government has erroneously stepped as a bilateral player and has held 15 rounds of talks with the Bhutanese government in the past. Nepal is not in a position to assimilate them into the country. In fact Nepal has now made it quite clear that the problem is between the Bhutanese government and the refugees.
The prolonged exile of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal is a major human rights deficit in the South Asia. The attempts to resolve the issue on the part of many actors have resulted in little or nothing to alleviate the suffering of the Bhutanese refugees.
The issue of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal is ultimately an issue of justice which demands that Bhutan not only get away with the expulsion of its citizens, but makes sure that the refugees get back their country and their right to live a normal life.
The South Asia has differing levels of democracy. Nonetheless, the idea of democracy remains an attractive one. The Bhutanese refugees are doubly marginalized–rendered both ousted and stateless. They need the help of the international communities to get their rights back, and to ensure that Bhutan adopts a democratic dispensation. For this establishing real democracy and the enduring freedom are preconditions in Bhutan.
Given the protracted nature of the problem, USA has come up with a resettlement proposal. It has been accepted only by a segment of the refugees. Only about 32000 refugees have registered to resettle in the third country among 107431. About 3000 refugees have already resettled in US. The proposal has glinted off a controversy and created confusion amongst the refugees. They want a lasting solution to the crisis which is their dignified and safe return to Bhutan and nowhere else. Another issue of concern is the fear among the refugees that camps could become a fertile breeding ground for violence and terrorism if further prolong the problem. The refugee problem may be a destabilizing factor in South Asia.
US led humanitarian solution is welcomed, as the lingering nature of the refugee issue but as a temporary measure only. Given the intractability of the problem, resettlement is an alternative. However it is not a permanent solution. If resettlement is carried out the problem of democratic deficient Bhutan and the contraction of freedom of Bhutanese remain same.
In fact, there are two issues: first related to ushering democracy in Bhutan. Second is related to the situation of the refugees. In addressing the refugee issue however, it is always borne in mind that the democracy deficit in Bhutan that has resulted in the refugee issue in the first place. The democracy, freedom and the problem of refugees could not be separated.
Indeed reasons for prolonged the lethargy and reluctance of the Indian government to tackle this problem. There is an urgent need to make the Indian government realize that it must take a more responsible approach to human rights violations in the region, given its geo-political importance in South Asia.
India's role is crucial. India is also interested on third country involvement for resettlement excluding safe return to Bhutan. As the biggest functioning democracy in the region, with tremendous economic clout, it is certainly in a position to correct the great atrocities done to the refugees.
India may have the most influence on Bhutan to push for a solution. That might be amenable to the refugees. But India steadfastly refused to get involved. This is ultimately an issue of justice that demands Bhutan does not get away with the expulsion of its citizens. Bush administration should motivate India to established democracy in Bhutan and enduring freedom to Bhutanese people and ensuring their dignified return to Bhutan. The resettlement of Bhutanese refugees in third country neither resolves the problem nor stabilizes the region. Bush administration should stimulate India in this line for the stability in South Asia. US Establishment should bear in mind that resettlement of Bhutanese refugees in third countries neither export democracy nor expand freedom in Bhutan.
Bhim Prasad Bhurtel is Executive Director of Nepal South Asia Centre, a Kathmandu based think tank regional NGO engaged in two core issues; democracy and development in south Asia. Author can be reached at Bhurtel_bp@hotmail.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
Bhutanese refugees find new life beyond the camps
Source: IRIN News
KATHMANDU, 10 November 2008 (IRIN) - Thousands of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal have been successfully resettled in seven countries, including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Canada, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
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| Thousands of Bhutanese refugees who are Nepalese origin, after having lived in camps in Nepal for as long as 20 years, have been resettled to the United States and six other countries with the assistance of UNHCR and IOM |
After several years of failed bilateral talks between the Nepalese and Bhutanese governments to repatriate them, the refugees are now opting for third-country resettlement with the help of UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Since March 2008, 6,200 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled and more are in the process of leaving the camps every week, said UNHCR officials in Nepal.
UNHCR said the USA had offered to resettle 60,000-plus refugees from Bhutan over the next five years, with another 10,000 hosted by the other countries listed.
Norway, which has a quota of barely 1,000 immigrants from all over the world, has provided settlement for nearly 200 Bhutanese refugees, according to the Bhutanese Refugee Rights Coordinating Committee (RRCC).
New beginning
"After so many years of suffering and leading miserable lives as refugees, they now have a chance to live in dignity," Ashok Gurung, senior member of the RRCC, told IRIN in the capital, Kathmandu.
Gurung, himself a refugee, explained that refugees had now been happily living in host countries.
"I have a strong degree of respect for the courage it must take for refugees to make the decision to resettle and begin their new lives upon resettlement," Daisy Dell, the UNHCR representative in Nepal, told IRIN.
She added that the resettlement process was a huge cultural and social adjustment for refugees who have been living in harsh camp conditions for nearly two decades.
The resettled refugees are adjusting to their new environment and have found jobs that pay as a high as US$8 per hour working on farms, in hotels and other jobs, according to RRCC.
"They have to struggle initially and have to start from scratch as most are not highly educated,” said Gurung. “It’s the children who benefit the most." He added that local charity agencies and Christian missionary organisations were helping to sponsor or find financial support to enrol the children in school.
Breakthrough
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| Over 6,000 Bhutanese refugees have already been resettled in USA, Europe, Australia and Canada |
The agency has met resistance from some groups of refugees who have been advocating for repatriation to Bhutan and protesting against third-country resettlement.
According to some refugees, there are 13 different armed groups still opting for repatriation and the Nepal government has stepped up security with the help of armed police in the refugee camps. UNHCR's position is that resettlement is an individual choice.
"Without the support of the refugee community, the government of Nepal and the international community, the possibility of resettlement for some 100,000 refugees from Bhutan would not have become a reality," added Dell.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Call to stop third country resettlement
Source: The Kathmandu Post
DAMAK, Nov. 7 (PR) - Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist), waging armed struggle in the Druk kingdom for the repatriation of Bhutanese refugees, has demanded Nepal government to stop third country refugee resettlement program by the end of this year. The party has also warned of launching agitation from within the refugee camps of Nepal if third country resettlement program is not scrapped as demanded. Addressing a program held clandestinely to mark the party's eigth anniversary in Jhapa on Friday, the party's military commission representative for Nepal Nirmal said the Maoist led government ignored the party's repeated calls to put an end to the third country resettlement program. "The party will begin struggle from the refugee camps if the resettlement program is not scrapped by January 2009," warned Nirmal.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Bhutanese refugees find little to cheer about in king's coronation
"There is no happiness in the refugee camp as the new king ascends the throne," said SB Subba, chairman of the Human Rights Organization of Bhutan. "It is meaningless for the people in refugee camps as the monarchy is the sole cause of our suffering."
His organization has been fighting unsuccessfully for more than a decade for the right of the refugees, most of whom are ethnic Nepalese, to return to Bhutan. They began arriving in Nepal in the early 1990s, accusing the Bhutanese government of persecution based on cultural, lingual and religious differences.
"The new king can only win the hearts and minds of people if he allows all exiled Bhutanese to return home," Subba said.
Bhutan's internal politics has undergone a major change since Jigme Khesar Namgyel's father, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, promised to introduce a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy in December 2005.
He abdicated a year later, and in March, Bhutan held its first parliamentary elections.
But refugee leaders argued that Bhutan's recent political transformation is not democracy in the real sense.
"One-fifth of the country's population is living in Nepal and has been ignored and the king didn't allow them the right to register political parties," said Teknath Rizal, a prominent Bhutanese refugee leader. "Many people inside Bhutan didn't get to vote."
"The king of Bhutan may also bear the same fate as the king of Nepal if he turns a deaf ear to our problems," warned Rizal, who served as adviser to the royal council in Bhutan for four years before he fled the country in the early 1990s.
Nepal's former king Gyanendra was forced to abdicate as the country's parliament voted for the abolition of the monarchy in 2007.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, about 107,000 Bhutanese refugees were living in seven UN-run camps in eastern Nepal at the beginning of the year.
Last year, the United States announced that it was willing to resettle more than 60,000 refugees. Other countries - including Norway, New Zealand and Canada - also said they would resettle refugees.
The resettlement programme began earlier this year, and about 5,000 refugees have left so far for the United States and other countries.
Several rounds of talks between Nepal and Bhutan to resolve the crisis and repatriate the refugees have so far failed.
