Demonstrations organized in Indo-Nepal border

Kakarvitta, December 17: Over 1,000 other exiled Bhutanese who had gathered at the Mechi Bridge at the Nepal-India border and tried to enter India on Sunday, were also stopped there by Indian security men.

After the security personnel thwarted their attempts to go further, the exiled Bhutanese staged a sit-in at the bridge. The demonstration was led by Satyagraha movement committee.

The protestors at Bridge staged a sit-in in the middle of the bridge, bringing the transit point to a complete standstill for four hours.
 
Addressing the protesters, Chairman of the Human Rights Organization of Bhutan (HUROB) S. B. Subba said the change in the monarch would make no difference for the exiled Bhutanese.

"The Druk government should immediately change its discriminatory policy towards its citizens," he said. "We've deemed that a new king cannot change the hell-like life of the exiled Bhutanese."

They also handed over an appeal to Indian security personnel asked them to send it to the new king urging to take early initiatives to resolve the southern Bhutan problem at the earliest.

The appeal signed by D. N. S. Dhakal of Bhutan National Democratic Party, S. B. Subba of Human Rights Organization of Bhutan, T. B. Rai Mukarung among others has urged for to resolve the 16 years old problem amicably for stable peace and democracy, repatriate the genuine Bhutanese to their original homeland, allow the human rights and social organizations formed in exile to operate freely inside the country, permit the political parties formed in exile to participate in the forth-coming first election schedule for 2008, take steps for national reconciliation and stop resettlement on the land of exiled Bhutanese. Bhutan News Service/T. P. Mishra