People in camps are terrorists, says Druk parliamentarian

Thimphu, December 28: The Druk parliamentarians have claimed that the exiled Bhutanese are stepping towards terrorism and to repatriate them would be exporting ready-made terrorist.

During the Wednesday session, Foreign Minister Khandu Wangchuk briefed the assembly on the status of the Bhutan – Nepal bilateral talks on the problem of exiled Bhutanese.

After several parliamentarian pointed out that the "people in the camps" were a threat to the security of Bhutan despite repeated efforts to solve the problems mutually, the Speaker, Ugen Dorje, asked the foreign minister to brief the house.

Foreign minister said Bhutan has offered to take back those people in category 1 and category 4 from Khudanabari camp wishing to return to Bhutan.

Khandu Wangchuk strongly claimed that the camps have been infiltrated by Maoist elements and several radical parties like the Bhutan Communist Party, Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front and the Bhutan Revolutionary Students Union have been formed with the declared objective of carrying out armed struggle to overthrow the government of Bhutan.

The minister also expressed his deep concern on the infiltration into the camps by the Maoist elements and the formation of radical parties in Nepal. “A large number of people in the camps are supporting and joining the Maoist movement in Nepal. They are listed as both refugees and Maoist members,” he said. “Allowing the highly politicized camp people into Bhutan would mean importing ready made radical political parties and terrorists to duplicate the violence, terror, and instability the Maoists have unleashed in Nepal.” He also expressed concern on the growing nexus between the militant elements in the camps and the Indian Maoists and Naxalities and insurgent groups who where flushed out of Bhutan in 2003.

Majority of parliamentarian submitted that the people should not be allowed to return at all.

Talking to BNS, one of the parliamentarians on condition of anonymity, said that Bhutan would step towards further complication if the repatriation process is derailed. “As I am one from very handful parliamentarian to supporting repatriation process, I could not speak in the session” he said, adding, “I would soon resign from the post if the unimproved situation continues.”

Meanwhile, the foreign minister reassured the members that the talks would be carried out based on the agreements signed between the two countries, the Citizenship Act of Bhutan, Immigration laws, and the resolutions passed by the National Assembly of Bhutan. Bhutan News Service