Camp secretaries want to go US

Birtamod, October 10: Against the stand of exiled Bhutanese leader, secretaries from the six camps in Jhapa welcomed the US offer to take in at least 60,000 of the 107,000 exiled Bhutanese in the next few years.

Speaking at an interaction organized in Birtamod on Monday, Manoj Rai, camp secretary of the Khudunabari camp, Hari Bangale Adhikari of Beldangi -I, D P Pradhan of Beldangi -II, Manorath Khanal of Beldangi  II extension, Parshuram Nepal of Timai camp and Ram Chandra Sapkota of Goldhap camp heartily welcomed the proposal.

Saying that no good would come of the speeches of the political parties and organizations in exile, they pointed out that pressure upon Bhutan could be brought to bear for repatriation even after going to the US.

However, president of Bhutan Peoples' Party Balaram Poudel said all the exiled Bhutanese in the camps want to go their own country rather than to the US.

He termed the US proposal as a conspiracy to create division among exiled Bhutanese.

Human rights leader Tek Nath Rijal has already criticized the offer saying that it was "in favor of Bhutanese King and against Bhutanese people."

Fifteen rounds of bilateral negotiations between the Bhutan and Nepal governments failed to resolve the impasse. The 16th round is to be held next month. Bhutan News Service