Exiled Bhutanese to stage in Kathmandu, lobby in New Delhi

Kathmandu, May 25: Bhutanese refugee will organise hunger strike in front of the UN house and a few diplomatic missions in Kathmandu from June 2 to draw attention of the international community for early solution of refugee issue.

Talking to Bhutan News Service on Thursday, Bhutanese human rights activist Tek Nath Rizal said the strike will continue at least for three months if international community and government of Nepal do not commit to reinvigorate the repatriation process of over hundred thousand refugees at the earliest possible.

Some 40 Bhutanese will sit in the strike at the initial phase but number will be increased gradually. Refugees have been staging relay hunger strike in all camps since three months demanding international intervention into the issue. June 2 is celebrated as the coronation anniversary of King Jigme, since he was enthroned in 1974.

Rizal demanded that Nepal government should no more involve in the bilateral talks with Bhutan and ask the international community to tackle the problem. “It is the issue between the Bhutanese citizens and Bhutanese government. Nepal has no meaning to involve in it. Only Nepal should do is to call the international community to take up the issue,” he said.

In middle of the strike in Kathmandu, a team of Bhutanese leaders will go to Indian capital of New Delhi to lobby with the Indian leaders, both in government and in opposition, for increasing India’s role in Bhutanese movement for repatriation and establishment of democracy.

The visit of Bhutanese leaders will coincide with the conference to be held by South Asian Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR) in New Delhi in support of Bhutanese movement. SAFHR, led by former prime minister of India Indar Kumar Gujral, had decided to launch campaign in support of repatriation of Bhutanese refugee in its recently held meeting in Colombo.

Meanwhile, Government of Nepal has decided to issue travel document to refugee residing in Nepal for abroad travel, spokesperson of foreign ministry Yadav Khanal told Bhutan News Service. Cabinet took decision to that effect on Tuesday. Rizal had met Foreign Minister K. P. Oli last week and urged Nepal Government to withdraw the decision of holding travel document of the previous government.

“We could not attend as many 12 international conferences despite invitation due to travel restriction by Nepal’s previous government,” Rizal said. Nepal Government’s decision has helped us to travel to other countries for advocacy for our cause, he added.

The royal regime had stopped issuance of travel documents to refugees taking asylum in Nepal saying the refugees did not return from the country they go to.

More than 105,000 Bhutanese have been taking asylum in Nepal since last 16 years when Bhutan adopted policy of ethnic cleansing and evicted them on charge of being illegal immigrants. Bhutan News Service