Nepal again asks Bhutan to take back refugees
February 10th, 2010 - 2:27 pm ICT by IANS
- Kathmandu, Feb 10 (IANS) With the 16th summit of South Asian heads of states just over two months away, Nepal Wednesday asked Bhutan to take back the Bhutanese refugees who have been languishing in Nepal for nearly two decades.
Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal emphasised that the government of Bhutan must allow the refugees to return home as he held a meeting with Bhutan Finance Minister Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu in Kathmandu Wednesday, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The Bhutanese minister arrived in Nepal as the special envoy of Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinley to invite Nepal to the 16th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Land-locked Bhutan will be hosting the summit for the first time. The two-day meet, to be attended by the heads of the eight member states, will be held in Bhutanese capital Thimhpu from April 28.
“Nepal will also raise the issue of the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees on the sidelines of the summit,” the Nepal premier’s media advisor Bishnu Rijal told IANS.
Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees, mostly of Nepali-origin, have been living in eastern Nepal for nearly two decades after they were forced to leave Bhutan due to changes in the Bhutanese government’s policies.
Despite several rounds of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan for the repatriation of the refugees, Bhutan refused to agree to take them back.
Finally, the US and other western countries stepped in, offering new homes on their soils to the rejected refugees.
Almost 25,000 refugees accepted the offer and left the camps for western shores after repatriation talks broke down without any progress.
Now almost 80,000 more refugees are ready to exit from the camps in eastern Nepal where they have been leading a spartan life under UN supervision.
The Nepal prime minister told the Bhutan envoy that third-country settlement could not resolve the refugee problem.
There were growing cases of suicide by the Bhutanese refugees after their relocation and the issue was growing more complicated, Nepal told Norbu, the PMO statement said.
The Bhutanese envoy said he would convey the concern to his government, the statement added.
Related Stories
- Bhutan ready to resume talks with Nepal over refugees - Aug 06, 2008
- Shortage of funds forces UN to cut down food aid to Bhutanese refugees - Oct 18, 2009
- Bhutanese refugee leader gunned down in Nepal camp - Apr 22, 2009
- Assam militants cannot set up base again: Bhutan PM Thinley (Interview) - Jan 20, 2010
- Bhutan jails refugee reporter for over 7 years - Jan 21, 2009
- Bangladesh, Bhutan agree on trade, energy, focus on climate change - Nov 09, 2009
- Bangladesh seeks link to Bhutan via India - Nov 07, 2009
- 69-year-old on hunger strike for rights in Bhutan jail - Mar 01, 2009
- UNHCR says over 20,000 Bhutanese refugees resettled abroad - Sep 08, 2009
- Chidambaram meets Bhutan King - Aug 22, 2009
- Nepal sends Bhutanese refugees to third country for resettlement - May 11, 2008
- Nepal snubs Bhutan over royal coronation - Nov 09, 2008
- Bhutan-India ties get new wings - Jun 19, 2009
- No anti-India insurgent on our soil since 2003: Bhutan premier - Jun 30, 2009
- International migration office bombed in Nepal - Jul 01, 2008
- World
- - bhutanese government
- - bhutanese refugees
- - bilateral talks
- - eastern nepal
- - emphasised
- - finance minister
- - madhav
- - member states
- - new homes
- - norbu
- - prime minister
- - refugee problem
- - repatriation
- - s media
- - sidelines
- - soils
- - south asian association
- - south asian association for regional cooperation
- - spartan life
- - western countries
Posted in World, |
February 10th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
In the establishment of the Bhutan, the major credits go to the Tibetan, Nepali speaking Bhutanese and Kuchbihari. Nepali speaking ethnic groups had settled in Bhutan since the early beginning-1600 BS, they are regarded as authentic Bhutanese citizens.
In 1907 A.D, Devraj Pellop Wangchuk abolished the “Dharmaraja” system and started the Wangchuk dynasty, which was adopted forcefully with the conspiracy. No one can deny the greatest contribution of the Nepali Speaking Bhutanese people in the establishment of the Bhutan before the Wangchuk Dynasty and as well as helped the Wangchuk Dynasty then after. During this period, the East India Company had ruled India and didn’t want Bhutan to maintain the Royal regime. Nepal had good relation with the British so in order to help the Nepalese Speaking Bhutanese and the Wangchuk Dynasty.
The Nepalese Government helped in preparing a delegation committee including the Devraja Pellop Wangchuk and convinced the British to maintain the Institution of the Royal Dynasty in Bhutan. Chandra Samsher had good relationship with the British and it was through him that an understanding could be able to establish the relation with the Wangchuk dynasty in Bhutan and the British in India. But, it is a matter of great disappointment that such a historical event is forgotten through time and the Nepali Speaking Bhutanese from Bhutan were kicked out after the census of 1988 A.D.
The forcefully throwing out the Nepalese Speaking Bhutanese from the country will prove the brutality of the Crown of Bhutan and recently in India the former Bhutanese King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk told the media that not all Bhutanese refugees in Nepal are Bhutanese. This is a Perfect lie. Ignoring all realities, no one can trust such a tactic to label genuine Bhutanese citizens as illegitimate citizens. Such statement goes contrary to the interest of both Nepal and Bhutan and need reconsideration as soon as possible. The statement may set bad image of the King and the Kingdom in the international community. Bhutan is a small country with just over 38 thousand square miles in area. Its economy is agrarian with 70% people depending on subsistence farming.
The southern part of Bhutan is lush with agricultural harvests made possible by the laborious Lotshampa (Nepali). It is well known to the Bhutanese King that the Nepalese Speaking Bhutanese people are faithful to the Wangchuk Dynasty. The book written by MR. Tek Nath Rijal “Nirvasan (Exiled)” also highlights the real situation of Bhutan.
The fact is that Nepalese Speaking Bhutanese people always wanted to live in peace by maintaining good relation with the King.Now, the new King Oxford-educated 28 -year-old Jigme Khesar has crowned in a coronation. This is his golden chance to solve the Bhutanese refugee’s problem. Without solving the refugee problem and talking the ceremony of coronation and about democracy is useless. Bhutanese King cannot turn deaf and hold on with such situation rather be flexible.
Therefore, the new king should be in a position to recall the Nepalese Speaking Bhutanese citizen.
Thank you.
Dirgha Raj Prasai