Bhutan or America? (REPRODUCTION)

Bhutan or America
Let The Refugees Decide  
By Kazi Gautam

THE American proposal of resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees that was made public in Geneva is eventually getting implemented within a few years. Even in the face of protests by some of the refugees, particularly the Bhutanese political leaders in exile, the US seems committed to resettle the refugees. With the establishment of an overseas processing entity on July 1, the process is expected to get expedited, thus, resettling about 60,000 Bhutanese refugees in the US within the next 4-5 years.

On the other hand, the Bhutanese refugees have been waiting for the last 16 years to have a decorous repatriation to their motherland. They have succumbed to all sorts of predicaments only to have a dignified return to their motherland. However, having seen no prospects of getting repatriated, the refugees are compelled to look for an alternative. At this point of time, it deserves critical comparison between the two, so that the refugees themselves can decide to choose.

Inside Bhutan
The king is the head of the state. The matter of national interest is, thus, decided solely by the king and doesn't need the consent of others. The ministers also hold their portfolio for lifetime together with the king. They make the policies that safeguard their interests, which cannot be opposed. During royal celebrations, the general public is required to contribute free labour for the preparation and raise funds and material contributions to pay as a gesture of respect and wish for the prosperity of the celebrities. The civil and army officers enjoy the privilege offered to them by the village headmen, thus, terrorising and abusing the innocent villagers. The land act does not permit a person to own more than 25 acres of land.

The system of administration is operated at the home, district and block level. While the Home acts on behalf of the entire machinery of the cabinet functioning under the dictatorship of the king, the Dzongdag (district chief) represents the Home in the districts to keep control over the people in the respective districts.

Bhutan practises a very different judiciary system that is not common in any of the countries of the world. A person cannot be granted royal audience before passing any verdict. Upon passing of the court verdict, if a person is sentenced to imprisonment, he does not get permission to appeal to the king for justice. Hence, Bhutan's advocacy about freedom of appeal to the king by an unsatisfied culprit is just limited within the touch of the elite. The general people have no right to raise a voice even if they are going to get a sentence for no good reason. In fact, it is the king and the ministers who are the privileged ones. The king is above the law. Moreover, human rights violation continues to this date.

The proposed draft constitution of the country does not guarantee the rights of the people. Moreover, it has failed to include the provision of the people in exile. In this scenario, how could the practice of democracy from 2008 be fruitful as the exiled ones are already declared to have carried out activities against the king and the country? Anyone who has spoken against the Tsawa tsum (king, country and the people) cannot take part in government activities. Hence, if the refugees are repatriated, will they be allowed to exercise their political rights?

The US package of resettlement, proposed on humanitarian grounds may be a comprehensive solution to the refugee deadlock. Firstly, the resettled refugees, who will be declared Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs), can enjoy everything like the Americans. They would be given a language course and job training. After five years they can apply for American citizenship.

On the other hand, the LPRs have no right to vote. Specifically, they will have no political rights. Though the American representatives have implied, though not stated directly, that the Bhutanese can return to their country if the environment becomes conducive, it also appears vaguely that they will have no right to return.

Within the last one-and-a-half decades, numerous futile attempts have been made to repatriate the Bhutanese refugees. This long idle stay has also invited numerous hazards in the refugee camps as well as in the local areas. Due to the gradual curtail in the commodities, the refugees have faced numerous problems off and on. It is because of this mental harassment that most of the refugees have lost their state of mind.

When the commodities provided to them are not sufficient to make their ends meet, the refugees are compelled to go out of the camps to earn money. This has resulted in a dispute with the locals numerous times. While going to the local's house or fields as labourers, collecting firewood in the forest or opening small shops in a local market, they have to endure either the locals' misbehaviour or their haughty treatment. Most often, the refugees are treated inhumanly. They are insulted and tortured mentally because they are stateless. This eventually leads to serious problems.

Bhutanese are peace loving. They have not created any nuisance but tolerated all kinds of bereavement. Some instances of havoc have been only the result of annoyance. The incident of February 22nd is the latest instance. In fact, the apparent reasons behind the refugees' convoluted acts are nothing but their frustration, constant and unnecessary pestering given to them by the locals and the fear of being destitute in the days ahead.

Assimilation
This is the right time for the refugees to take a decision that would be advantageous to the refugees and the host country. The Bhutanese political leaders must come to a common point so as to decide the future of over 100,000 refugees. It must also be clearly analysed by the refugees themselves as well as the leaders and the Nepalese government before deciding whether to waste more time in vain waiting for repatriation or get assimilated in the United States.

Let us assume that the latter is to be chosen. In this case, the US government must guarantee that the resettled Bhutanese can return to their homeland if they wish to because the objective of the Bhutanese political movement is to establish and institutionalise true democracy in Bhutan.

(Gautam is Chief Editor of The Bhutan Reporter)
Source: The Rising Nepal,March 12