39 refugees likely to fly to US by January

Source: The Himalayan Times

The International Organisation of Migration (IOM) today has taken 39 Bhutanese refugees to Kathmandu, citing security reason. The refugees of Beldangi Camp are expected to fly to the US within the first week of January.

Earlier, they have been provided special security after an unknown group shot at Arjun Subba two weeks ago in Sangam Chock and their huts were destroyed. 10 family members of Chhabilal Thapa, 11 of Arjun Subba, and 13 of DB Moktan of the camp and five of Dilliram Gautam of Morang’s Shanischare camp have been taken to Kathmandu.

In a bid to resettle Bhutanese refugees in America, the IOM said it had interviewed refugees of the camps and resettlement processing of over 3,000 refugees is going on. Some other refugees have been submitting their applications for resettlement in America.

Refugees of pro-America resettlement plan have said some 72,000 refugees of Jhapa and Morang have applied for resettlement in America. Meanwhile, Bhu-tanese CPN-Maoist has been forcing refugees to reject the resettlement offer in the US, threatening of giving physical action against those who support opt the resettlement offer.

Bhutanese refugee shot

Source: Kantiopuronline.com

DAMAK, Dec 13 - Unidentified individuals shot and injured a Bhutanese refugee in Damak Thursday. Arjun Subba, 31, of Hut no. 71 in sector D of Beldangi camp-1 sustained injuries to the stomach and right hand. He was rushed to Life Life Hospital in Damak, where doctors said he was out of danger.

According to area police office Damak, Subba was shot at Hawaldar Chowk some two kilometers from the refugee camp. According to Chabilal Thapa, another refugee, who witnessed

the shooting, two motorcyclists stalking Subba fired at him.

Thapa added that a woman shot at Subba from the motorbike which had no number plate.

Two of the shots misfired and Subba was injured by the third shot. Members of the Bhutanese Maoist party had spread pamphlets in the camp during Tihar festival, threatening to kill Subba and many other refugees for failing to vacate the camp within 15 days.

Refugee camp security beefed up

Source: Kantipuronline.com

Citing increasing insecurity inside the Beldangi Bhutanese refugee camp during nighttime, the local administration in Damak has prohibited mobility to and from the camp after 7 p.m. every day, starting Saturday.

Earlier this month, a joint meeting held between the camp management committee, the refugee coordination committee unit and the police administration had decided to tighten up camp security.

"The prohibitory orders have been imposed after taking account of the present situation," Raj Kumar Lamichhane, District Superintendent of Police of Armed Police Force Beldangi base camp, told the Post. "We will take action against any refugees trying to exit the camp or remaining outside it after 7 in the evening," Lamichhane added.

However, the administration has not clarified the total time stretch of the prohibitory order. "The prohibitory order is effective until the break of dawn," security personnel at the base camp said. Security in the camp was beefed up after increasing incidents recently of political pamphlets being stuck up and hooliganism.

Meanwhile, refugees at Beldangi-1 found a stray pamphlet inside the camp Friday night claiming that the Nepal Government and UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) were providing security to "unimportant persons." The pamphlet also accuses Chabilal Thapa, former secretary of Beldangi-1 refugee camp, of committing "severe crimes" in Bhutan and inside the camp, and claims that "the Bhutanese people would not forgive Thapa no matter what."

Right since some countries, chief among them the United States, announced they were to resettle the refugees, extremist youths have been threatening refugees not to opt for third country resettlement. The government, after facing a lot of flak, has set up bases for the Armed Police Force in each of the camps.