Bhutanese demonstrate against third country settlement

Sanischare, July 23: Hundreds of exiled Bhutanese organized demonstrations against the recent proposal of the UNHCR to resettle some of the refugees in third country on Sunday.
 
Saying that the proposal as ploy against their future, women, children, youth and elderly people from Pathari of Morang district carried out a rally chanting slogans against the agency. They also blocked the east-west Mahendra Highway for about an hour.
 
A day before Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees (Operations) Judy Cheng-Hopkins had announced to resettle 16 women and girls, who were raped or torture victims and orphan, in Canada and the US.
 
Addressing the mass, youths said that they wanted to return to their homeland not go to a third country and claimed that the move will benefit the Bhutanese regime, as it would create a rift among them rather than resolving the problem.
 
They have urged Nepal government to annul the exit visas for those 16 persons. Bhutan News Service