Druk security held six Nepalis

Phuentsholing/Kathmandu, May 27: Bhutanese authorities from different blocks under Samtshe districit on Thursday evening arrested at least six Nepali-ethnic people on the fake charge of opposing the ‘mock election’ scheduled to be held on May 28.

The Druk security forces arrested Shreeram Chhetri of Ghumauney on Thursday evening while Ratan Monger of Suntalabari and Prahalad Chhetri, Jit Bahadur Ghaley, Neema Tamang and Tej Kumar Ghaley of Nainatal under the same districit were arrested at around 12.30 in the midnight after security personnel raided their houses.

However, the detainees’ attachment to any of the existing political parties formed both in exile and inside the country has not yet been known.

Meanwhile, human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal talking to the BNS said the families of those detained also informed him via telephone. “Family members of the detainees are repeatedly making calls to me”, he said, adding that they urged the world communities to probe into the facts behind their relatives’ arrest.

It is reportedly learnt that those held by the security personnel were, however, trying to meet United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Antonio Guterres who had reached Thimphu on a official visit on the same day.

Rizal has further urged the international human rights bodies to extend the support for their early and unconditional release.

“This proves that Bhutan would opt for the ethnic cleansing policy as in early 1990s. Bhutan’s claim that it would hold fair general election in 2008 is a hoodwinking approach”, Rizal said.

Bhutanese authorities haven’t yet made the condition of the detainees public. Bhutan News Service/ T P Mishra