Dutch royalties urged to raise issue of evicted citizens

Hague, October 24: The Netherlands based Bhutanese human rights worker Ram Bahadur Karki has appealed the Dutch royal couples to raise the issue of Bhutanese citizens evicted out of country during their visit to Bhutan.

Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander and the Crown Princess Maxima will make their Bhutan visit from October 28 to 30.

Karki urged the royal couple to talk with the new Bhutan king Jigme Khesar namgyal Wangchuk regarding the evicted citizens who have been taking asylum in various countries across the world.

In his appeal Karki stated that though Bhutan is a beautiful place to visit because of the natural beauty of the kingdom but the people living there are forced to live in misery, unhappiness, depressed, inhuman and deprived because of the dictatorial rule of the autocratic monarch.

He mentioned that more then 120,000 Bhutanese citizens were evicted under ethnic cleansing policy of the country since early 1990s and are barred from returning to their own country and excluded from the country for once and for all.

“Their future is uncertain and their frustrations have reached an optimum point. Those southern Bhutanese who are still living in the southern Bhutan are grossly discriminated in all ways of life. They are deprived of schools, hospitals, movement, promotions in jobs, representation and other civic amenities,” he added.

He claimed that the upcoming parliamentary election in Bhutan is nothing but the regime’s technique to divert international attention from the most burning humanitarian crisis of Bhutan emerged after evicting the southern Bhutanese.

Dutch crown prince is also appraised of the presence of over 25 exiled Bhutanese in The Netherlands, living as political refugee since 6 years.

On October 10 Dutch crown prince and princess acknowledged the receipt of Karki’s appeal. Bhutan News Service