Repatriation campaign for Bhutanese refugees launched in Nepal

KATHMANDU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Non-political organizations based in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal have initiated campaigns to pave the way for the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees back home.

According to Friday's nepalnews.com, as a part of the campaign, these organizations namely Human Rights Organization of Bhutan, Bhutanese Refugees Repatriation Council and Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front have started filling out forms for repatriation of the refugees at all the seven Bhutanese refugee camps in different parts of Jhapa and Morang districts.

The form, scripted in both English and Nepali, features details of the refugees, such as address in Bhutan, citizenship, land and property ownership and family information.

Once filled out, these forms would be sent to the concerned bodies, the organizations said. The organizers believe the campaign will help draw international attention to the Bhutanese refugees' situation and build up pressure on the Bhutanese government for their repatriation.

The repatriation campaign will continue for two months. According to the International Organization on Migration, more than 15,000 Bhutanese refugees so far have been resettled in seven different countries including the United States, Australia and Netherlands, among others.

Some 106,000 Bhutanese refugees have been living in seven camps in eastern Nepal for the last 18 years.

Refugee leaders ask Nepal to solve Bhutanese refugee crisis

Source: Kantipur

By Deepak Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - Bhutanese refugee leaders, living exiled life in Nepal, on Wednesday welcomed the assurances made by the Nepali government to form a taskforce to resolve the Bhutanese refugee crisis.

Speaking at a programme organised here, on the day Bhutan was celebrating its National Day, Chairman of National Democratic Front (NDF)— the front of three major political parties of Bhutan—Bala Ram Poudel said that the international community and the Nepal government should take initiatives to resolve the Bhutanese refugee crisis in Nepal. "Being the host country, Nepal should take initiatives to repatriate the refugees," said he, adding, "And, the Nepal government should talk to India also to find the solution to this crisis."

The land-locked Himalayan Kingdom observes its national day on December 17 every year to mark the accession of the first king of Wanngchuk dynasty, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuk, to the throne.

Poudel, who is also the president of the Bhutan People's Party (BPP), further said. "Refugees have been observing December 17—the National Day of Bhutan—as a day of plight."

He demanded that the Nepal government should implement the commitment it made in its annual programmes and policies mentioned in its 85th point apropos to the resolution of the refugee crisis. "Miraculous change has occurred in Nepal," said the president of the BPP, the largest Bhutanese party in exile, adding, "But, the refugee problem has stuck at the same place where it was earlier."
While speaking about the newly promulgated constitution of Bhutan, the Bhutanese leader remarked that it has bestowed a special right to the king which clarifies the fact that the he is above the constitution. "A drama of change is being staged in Bhutan," he said.
Likewise, another Bhutanese leader DK Rai, who was recently released after spending 17 years in a Bhutanese dungeon, on the initiatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), spoke about the torture inflicted on him in the jail.
Rai, who was arrested in November 1991 and detained at the police headquarters in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, said that the prisoners of conscience were forced to work in road construction. "We had to bring stones from the river and crush them into pebbles with hammer," he recalled.

According to him, there were altogether 32 political detainees in two blocks in the jail he was confined at before his release. "Some of them have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while others for five to 10 years," said Rai, the former General Secretary of Druk National Congress (DNC). Currently, Rai is under treatment with the help of Center for Victims of Torture(CVICT).

His family, residing in the southern parts of Bhutan, was chased away in 1994 while he was in the jail. They ended up at Khudunabari refugee camp in Jhapa district, Nepal, via India seeking asylum. There are over 100, 000 refugees residing at seven different camps of Jhapa and Morang districts run by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Among them, around 8000 have been resettled in third countries after seven different western countries, including the US, came up with the proposal for resettling around 80,000 refugees.
Of them, 7500 have been resettled in 33 different states of USA, while 365 in Australia, 134 in New Zeeland and the others in Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. Canada has pledged to resettle 5000 refugees, 24 among them have started to settle at St Jerome, Quebec in Canada recently.
Majority of the leaders claim that the resettlement process will help the democratic movement in Bhutan. "The refugees will support our agitation, wherever they go," said Poudel. He added that the refugees have been divided into two categories—favouring resettlement and willing to be repatriated.

What is more, Rai opined that unless it is not launched from Bhutan itself, the movement cannot succeed. "There is no real democracy in Bhutan. To set up democracy, a movement should be launched from the country," said he.
Meanwhile, Bhutanese refugees residing in Nepal protested the National Day of Bhutan today by organising rallies and demonstrations at various places in Jhapa district.
The refugees living at camps staged demonstrations at three refugee camps today. They said that it is useless to celebrate the national day by Bhutan, their country of origin.

These refugees, mostly ethnic Nepali speaking groups from the southern plains of Bhutan, began entering Nepal in 1990. They fled their country fearing the enforcement of new citizenship laws and the "one nation, one people" policy of cultural assimilation in the late 1980s.

Demonstrations for repatriation

Source: Apfanews.com

Damak, November 25: About 150 exiled Bhutanese organized demonstrations at the Nepal-India border in Kakarvitta Tuesday urging Indian authorities to allow them passage to go back to Bhutan.

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

Demand for repatriation

Source: Apfanews.com

Kathmandu, October 21: A group of exiled Bhutanese led by chairman of Human Rights Organization of Bhutan S. B. Subba submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal Monday urging the Nepalese government to take up efforts for repatriation.

In a memorandum submitted to PM Dahal, the group claimed resettlement to third countries was against the international standards which caused confusion on some exile Bhutanese who are ‘not farsighted’ and Nepalese diplomats.

The memorandum stated that resettlement has brought negative impact in camp life such as weakening security situation, family split, suicide, decreasing interests on student towards education among others.

However, there have not been any reports of suicidal cases in the camps since the resettlement process began.

The group demanded suspension of resettlement process unless Bhutan clearly states it position, organize a round table meeting among Nepal, Bhutan, India and representatives of the exiled Bhutanese and formation of a special committee to look after the issue among many. Bhutan News Service

Question Of Refugee Repatriation

Source: The Rising Nepal

By: T P Mishra

Human beings are social ani-mals who are po- litically influenced, and they are certain to get involved in political demonstrations aimed at raising voices for the stablishment of their rights. Though it is one of the fundamental rights, Bhutanese refugees in Nepal are barred from staging a peaceful campaign or other programmes for the return to their original homeland.

Restrictions
In fact, it is unfair and unjustifiable to restrict the refugees from holding peaceful demonstrations in the name of controlling crime-related activities inside the refugee camps. Undoubtedly, there has been a rise in crimes and unruly activities inside these camps, most of them said to be instigated by the underground revolutionary outfits. Perpetrators should not allowed to go scot free, but it is not wise on the part of the local authorities to restrict innocent peaceful demonstrators from raising their voice for repatriation.

Following the option of Third Country Resettlement (TCR), other options, in particular the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, is getting overshadowed. In recent times, the different media in Nepal have been reporting that the local authorities in Jhapa and Morang districts are clamping restrictions on peaceful demonstrations and protests in favour of repatriation inside the refugee camps.

Nepal’s frequent claim that it supports and gives priority to the repatriation process sounds contradictory. Actually, the Government of Nepal has failed to convince Thimphu to accelerate the repatriation process while the local authorities are opting measures to restrict the refugees from holding peaceful demonstrations inside the UNHCR-administered camps.
In the last week of May last year, thousands of refugees who staged peaceful protests were stranded at the Indo-Bhutan border on the Mechi Bridge by the Indian security forces while demanding passage to Bhutan. The Indian police intervened to stop the demonstrators, and in the scuffle, an innocent refugee youth Shah Bahadur Dewan was shot dead. Not only this, hundreds of those who sustained injuries are still undergoing medical treatment.
The local authority’s decision to restrict peaceful demonstrations inside the refugee camps clearly shows its intention to suppress the refugees’ sentiments to return to their home, Bhutan. This sort of behaviour from the local authorities at a time when Nepal has already become a republic with a pledge to enter a ‘New Nepal’ leaves a number of unanswered queries.
Bhutanese refugees being of Nepali ethnic origin are certainly close to Nepal. Moreover, the refugees have high hopes that their issue will be solved with the efforts and support from the Government of Nepal. Nepal should, thus, become ‘liberal’ and allow the refugees to at least demonstrate their feelings and demands through peaceful means.

However, it is equally necessary to maintain good vigilance by the Armed Police Force (APF), deployed in each of the seven camps, to see that there is no infiltration by untoward elements in such demonstrations. The refugees should also ensure that they abide by the law of the host country while staging such peaceful protests. Any violent attempts from refugees to raise their voice - be it for repatriation, resettlement or local assimilation - would certainly be a criminal acts. Only in such cases should the local authorities try to disband the refugees’ protests. Or else it is unfair not to allow peaceful protest programmes.

Meanwhile, those refugees and groups favouring the option of repatriation should not obstruct the resettlement process as there is increasing number of people from the same community wishing to opt for it. A sense of mutual cooperation and understanding between the divided opinions among the refugees is a must to ensure that all possible options are unlocked.

Initiatives
Now-a-days the efforts to press the Druk regime to accelerate the repatriation process are limited to ‘issuing media statements’. None of the concerned authorities, including the Government of Nepal, are opting for practical measures to bring Bhutan to the negotiating table. As a result, those refugees who wish to return to Bhutan have started making efforts on their own, particularly through peaceful protests inside the refugee camps.
It should be clearly understood that suppressing such efforts of the refugees by no means will discourage them from raising their voice for repatriation. Rather it will only add fuel to the refugee problem. The authorities concerned should take urgent and necessary initiatives to address the demands of the refugees.


(Editor of BNS, Mishra is also president of the Bhutan Chapter of Third World Media Network and can be reached at: mishratp@gmail.com)

Bhutanese Refugees Rally for Repatriation

Source: The Himalayan Times

Demanding an early repatriation, Bhutanese refugees staged demonstrations in their camps on Monday. They staged the demonstrations at the call of Street Struggle Committee, a newly-formed body of refugees.Refugees of Beldangi Camps No 2 and 3 urged the Indian government to help in the repatriation.The refugees took out rallies inside the camps after the Armed Police Force prevented them from coming out.Refugees of the camps at Sanischare also staged a protest rally on Monday.Meanwhile, security has been tightened in the camps. Entrance of private vehicles in the refugee camps has been banned.

Resettlement Will Help in Repatriation: IOM Official

Source: TheHimalayanTimes.com

A high-ranking official of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said that the resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to the United States will also pave the way for their repatriation to Bhutan.

"The resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to the United States of America will open all doors of repatriation to their homeland", David Derthick, manager at the Damak-based office of the IOM, said on Wednesday.

"Resettlement is not good for all, but it has become imminent for some," Derthick said, adding that the process of resettlement was initiated after the Bhutanese refugee issue persisted for a long time. He said, "All refugees are free to choose the option of resettlement and no one is under pressure."

Derthick claimed that the Bhutanese refugees will be in a better position to launch pressure from the United States of America for repatriation to homeland than what they could do from Nepal. "Once they resettle in the US, the new generation will have the opportunity for best education. They can create international pressure and Bhutan will have no choice but to accept its citizens back." He said that Bhutan, after driving its citizens away from home, has not won the game, but found itself in an awkward position.

Derthick said, "Bhutan has lost its important and good citizens."
He said that the number of Bhutanese refugees that will be taken to the US for resettlement cannot be confirmed at this time. Saying that the resettlement process will help the new generation especially, he said that repatriation to Bhutan after resettlement in the US cannot be ruled out.

"There are many instances in which many refugees have returned to their homeland after resettlement in third countries."
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has recommended a name list of 3,000 Bhutanese refugees to the IOM for resettlement in the US, he said, adding the process of interviewing them has begun. "It's up to us to decide who will go to which country. It is under jurisdiction of the UNHCR or the host country," Derthick said. "However, certain criteria are there for selection. We will handle them."

Refuting rumours that the IOM was intimidated; he said that the security situation at the camps is excellent. "The cooperation we received from the Nepal government is excellent." He said that the refugees in Nepal were treated in a better way than their counterparts in Africa and other nations. The people here have also cooperated a lot, he said.

Meeting in India to discuss refugee repatriation issue

Source: Nepalnews.com

Even as the process of third-country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees has started, some leaders of the refugees are meeting with Indian parties and rights activists in New Delhi, Thursday, to discuss the issue of repatriation.

Refugee leaders Rongthong Kinley, Dr. DNS Dhakal and Jagirman Lama will take part in the meeting organised by Bhutanese Solidarity Group, reports Nepal Samacharpatra daily.

The meeting will focus on highlighting the issue of repatriation of Bhutanese refugees and applying international pressure on Bhutan government in this regard.

According to Balram Poudel, chairman of Bhutan People's Party, Indian political leaders including Sitaram Yechury of CPM, D Raja of CPI, DP Tripathy of National Congress and Devdut Bishwas of Forward Bloc will participate in the meeting.

Repatriation and resettlement should begin together: PM (Nepalnews.com)

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has urged the US government to ensure that resettlement and repatriation of the Bhutanese refugee begin at a time.

Koirala told visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Ellen Saurbrey, during a meeting Saturday morning at Balutwar, that third-country resettlement was not a permanent solution of the refugee crisis.

According to a Baluwatar source, PM Koirala informed the US minister that Nepal was not, however, against the resettlement process but expressed concern regarding the future of those who do not want to go to the US.

Koirala also urged the US official to put pressure on Indian and Bhutanese governments for repatriation of Bhutanese refugees.

In response, Saurbrey assured to raise the issue with Bhutanese and Indian governments. She said her government would officially ask the two governments to take initiative for a solution of the protracted refugee crisis. Saurbrey had visited Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa.

She will fly to Thimphu on Sunday to discuss the refugee issue with the Bhutanese government. After that she will visit Delhi seeking India's role in solving the refugee crisis.

During her interaction with refugees in Jhapa camps on Friday, Saurbrey had assured to put pressure on Bhutan and Indian for early solution of the issue.

Rizal tells US to talk to Nepal, Bhutan and India before resettlement

Source: Apfanews.com

Chairman of Bhutanese Movement Steering Committee (BMSC) Tek Nath Rizal urged the United States to hold talks with Nepal, India and Bhutan jointly before beginning the third country settlement of the exiled Bhutanese on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists in the Nepalese capital Rizal said resettlement merely would not give solution of the two-decade long crisis. “Most of us want to return to our country and if the US government is indeed serious regarding resolving the crisis, joint meeting is absolutely necessary as all three countries are involved in the crisis.”

Rizal also promised that he will continue struggling for the respectful return of exiled Bhutanese to Bhutan.

He further said the exiled Bhutanese should be repatriated before the general elections take place in Bhutan so they participate in the election next year.

On Sunday, Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had said he favors return of the exiled Bhutanese for their elections to guarantee their franchise rights.

Thinley Penjore, vice president of BMSC, said that resettlement offier is only a short term solution.

Expressing gratitude towards the US government for its willingness to resettle some exiled Bhutanese, Penjore said, “We will not stop those who want to be resettled in the third country but selection procedures should be transparent.

Nepali human rights Dr Gopal Krishna Siwakoti said resettlement would provide opportunity for the exiled Bhutanese to begin a new life but that would tarnish the democratic struggle in Bhutan. He said wherever they are taken, their national identity must the guaranteed.

Dhruva Joshi of Friends of Bhutan said third country settlement would not help protect the rights of the southern Bhutanese.

Let refugees decide

Source: Kathandu Post,2007-9-10

Finally, the international organization of migration (IOM) has established its office in Damak, Jhapa to resettle the Bhutanese refugees in some third countries and side by side some unwanted and unnecessary elements are hatching conspiracy to foil this humanitarian project. It is natural to hear mixed opinions but it is shocking to learn that our own “leaders” are busy creating chaos inside the camps.

We all know that it is not a matter of pride to fly to America and at the same time it is not good and wise to stay long in the camps under sub-human conditions. The “leaders” hardly know the pain and sorrow that the refugees are facing today. And this is not the time to listen to them, rather it is time to speak clearly and find a safe way out of the hellish refugee camps.

Let us give chance to the refugees to speak what they want today, rather than forcing them to walk in our leaders' footsteps. Hope the situation improves soon in the refugee camps after the establishment of security posts, which would encourage the panic-stricken refugees to express their feelings.

We know what Thimpu is cooking these days and we will not digest what the Druk kingdom prepares. We hope we will get a new life in the third country.

Khem Regmi
Pathri Regugee Camp, Morang

Repatriation only solution for refugees

Source: Gorkhapatra.org.np
By: Ambar Mainali
WASHINGTON D.C, April 24: Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugee and Migration at the US State Department, Ellen Sauerbrey said Monday although the US government has expressed its interest to resettle the Bhutanese refugees, repatriation could only provide a durable solution to the protracted crisis.

"The only durable solution will be for people to go home," Sauerbrey told a press briefing at the Foreign Press Center.

Sauerbrey made the remark responding to a query from visiting Nepalese journalists whether the US proposal to resettle 60, 000 Bhutanese refugees was an appropriate one since it would only contribute to weaken the democratic movement in Bhutan.

The visiting journalists expressed doubts that after educated Bhutanese who have been leading the democratic movement from refugee camps in Nepal were resettled in the US under the present plan, the democratic movement in Bhutan could face a serious setback.

Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey said that the proposal to resettle the Bhutanese refugees was made after acknowledging that the problem had remained unsolved for many years.

"It is one of the worst protracted refugee problems in the world," she said adding the US government in the past years mounted pressure on Bhutan to allow the refugees to return home.

The question is how long should you allow people to languish in camps? "We hence wish to contribute towards enabling people to start new lives," Sauerbrey, a former high school teacher said.

She said that the government of Nepal too feels that resettlement of the refugees in the third countries is a good idea.

"After our interest to resettle the refugees, other nations, mainly the European nations have also shown their interest for a third country resettlement of the refugees.

Following the announcement by the US in September last year to resettle the refugees, the refugee leaders have been engaged in hot debates whether the proposal would augur well for the entire refugee community and the future of the democratic movement in Bhutan.

Many of them have expressed their stance that the government of Nepal ought to hold dialogue with Bhutan to resume the verification process for early repatriation.

Although ministerial level talks were scheduled to be held in February this year, the talks were postponed at short notice.

The Bhutanese leaders had expressed their interest to re-open dialogue with Nepal on the refugee stalemate during their interaction with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in the sidelights of the 14th SAARC Summit held in early April this year. But both the sides have not expedited their interest to hold bilateral talks so far.