Kathmandu, November 16: The foreign ministerial level meeting between Bhutan and Nepal scheduled for next week to finalise the issue of Bhutanese in exiled has been postponed indefinitely. Talking to journalists on Thursday at the Foreign Ministry after his meeting with the three-member EU Troika team, Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs … Read more
BY TILAK P. POKHAREL BHUTANESE REFUGEE CAMPS, Nov 12 – "Burden-sharing" is a term widely used while referring to resettlement of Bhutanese refugees in third countries. But, are they really a burden for Nepalis? The answer in "no" for many Nepali communities hosting the refugees for 16 years. Rather, the refugees' presence has helped them … Read more
BY TILAK P. POKHAREL BHUTANESE REFUGEES CAMPS, Nov 11 – Repatriation. That is what 106,000 Bhutanese refugees languishing in seven camps in eastern Nepal have been looking forward to for the last 16 years. As the years passed, repatriation became more elusive; but it is stronger now than ever before, in the days following the … Read more
BY TILAK P. POKHAREL Jhapa and Morang, November 10 – The whisper about Bhutanese refugees taking up arms against the Druk monarch's absolute rule has been in the air for quite some time. Now there are growing evidences that refugees frustrated with the Druk regime's refusal to repatriate them are gravitating toward the arms option. … Read more
New Delhi, November 11: Exiled Bhutanese would be compelled to take up arms and destabilize north-east India if the Indian government continues to ignore them in their efforts for repatriation, a study report released on Friday concluded. According to the report, the exiled Bhutanese would wage a war against India if Indian government doesn't respond positively … Read more
Kathmandu, November 10: Chief of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nepal has expressed his concern and unhappiness over the division among exiled Bhutanese over the issue of a third country resettlement. "This division is not what we want," UNHCR representative in Nepal, Abraham Abraham, said at the reporter's club on Friday. … Read more
BY TILAK P. POKHAREL KATHMANDU, Nov 10 – As the undercurrent of the United States' offer made in October to resettle 60,000 Bhutanese refugees continues to further deepen the division in the refugee community, at least three other countries have agreed with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to make similar offers in a "burden-sharing" … Read more
With a Foreign Secretary only recently installed and a fresh Foreign Minister now in place, a new team is in charge at MEA. The changes at the top do not look like routine turnovers but bid fair to give renewed impetus to the conduct of foreign policy. It is thus a proper moment to consider … Read more
Kathmandu, Nov 9: Three more countries other than the US have also agreed with the UNHCR to share burden of exiled Bhutanese. According the sources Australia, New Zealand and Canada and some member countries of the European Union have already agreed to resettle refugees. However, the countries haven't yet made public about the exact numbers … Read more
Beldangi, November 9: The Communist Party of Bhutan (MLM) celebrated its fifth anniversary in an unknown place of Jhapa on November 7. ‘Nabin’ addressing the party cadres said, ''CPB-MLM is preparing Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) to fight against the autocratic Wangchhuck dynasty of Bhutan.'' He also presented the program and policy of the party. Another … Read more