HUROB appeals Prachanda to raise issue (Appeal)
Kathmandu, September 10: Human Rights Organization of Bhutan (HUROB) has appealed the Nepalese Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal to raise exiled Bhutanese with his counterpart during his upcoming visit to India.
“It is slowly manifesting to unprecedented rebellion because of youths frustration which not only will affect Bhutan but the region as a whole and India in particular as being immediate neighbor. Therefore, the involvement of India is a must and the problem should be resolved tri-laterally in the greater interest of the long term peace in the region.” reads the appeal. Bhutan News Service
Full text of the appeal
Date: 10. 09. 2008
H.E. Pushpa Kamal Dahal,
Prime minister, Federal Republic of Nepal,
Singha Darbar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Subject: Appeal to raise the Bhutanese refugee problem with India government and involve India in resolving the problem.
Your Excellency,
On behalf of all the Bhutanese refugees and on my own would like to wish Your Excellency's coming state visit to India a most successful and fruitful. More than 108000 Bhutanese refugees living in Jhapa and Morong have taken Your Excellency's visit to India most appropriate and significant not only to Nepali people but as well as to Bhutanese refugees. Your Excellency is well aware that the Bhutanese refugees have been living in the seven camps for last 17 years and several bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan till 2000 had failed to find amicable solution due to Bhutan government's adamant stand despite verification in Khudunabari camp not to take back the refugees and partly Nepal government's lack of strong position and clear policy on Bhutanese refugees.
Today instead of the repatriation, the International community especially the USA and other core countries have started the resettlement unilaterally much against the wish of the majority of the Refugees who still hold strong conviction to go back to own land in Bhutan. On the other hand, we are disillusioned by the agreement of Nepal government for resettlement when still the bilateral talk had not been abandoned thus aiding and abating the ethnic cleansing policy of Bhutan government. Although, we are not completely against resettlement but our concern is that all three options repatriation in priority, resettlement and local assimilation should have been implemented simultaneously for the justice of the refugees and not left only resettlement as Hobson’s choice.
At least we are happy that resolution of the Bhutanese refugee problem is one of the priorities of your government and therefore we are optimistic that it will be resolved with fair and justice acceptable to all the refugees. Every one opines that the main stakeholder of the resolution is India as it has greater privilege than others in Bhutan socially, economically and geopolitically. Therefore, on the occasion of Your Excellency's visit to India, we appeal to raise the Bhutanese refugee problem with India as it is slowly manifesting to unprecedented rebellion because of youths frustration which not only will affect Bhutan but the region as a whole and India in particular as being immediate neighbor. Therefore, the involvement of India is must and the problem should be resolved tri-laterally in the greater interest of the long term peace in the region. We profoundly hope that the Bhutanese refugee problem will be always in forefront of your mind and put it in the agenda of talk with India.
Thanking your Excellency for kind support and solidarity.
Yours Faithfully,
S.B.Subba
Chairman
HUROB