HAF recommends Bhutan regime to take back its citizens
New York, July 13: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has asked the Bhutanese regime to act in good faith to allow its evicted citizens get back to the country and rehabilitate them immediately.
In a new report published by the foundation entitle “Hindus in South Asia and in Diaspora: A survey of human rights 2006’ HAF said, “Without taking back the exiled Bhutanese, it will be impossible to achieve integration of the Bhutanese society. Exiled Bhutanese must be repatriated with dignity and honor”.
The report further said, “Until this problem is solved and human rights guaranteed Bhutan should be pressured by the international community. Bhutan has escaped the attention of USCIRF.”
It also asked Bhutan take concrete steps to resume bilateral talks with Nepal, and proceed with voluntary repatriation.
In line with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, HAF recommended that Bhutan must take practical and concrete steps to demonstrate its stated commitment to a just resolution of the longstanding crisis, Bhutan, Nepal and UNHCR should adopt a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for voluntary repatriation that includes a clear statement of rights and entitlements upon the exiled citizens’ return to Bhutan – including full citizenship rights and human rights protections.
HAF further recommended, that an accelerated and simplified verification exercise needs to be carried out in the six camps which have not yet been screened, based on two categories only: Bhutanese and non-Bhutanese, that donors, UN agencies and Bhutan's other partners should insist on measures to eliminate discrimination against Lhotshampas who have remained in Bhutan since the exodus of refugees, and to ensure the protection of their fundamental human rights and their right to participate as full citizens of Bhutan, Bhutan’s development partners should urge the King to exercise his royal prerogative to regularize the nationality status of Lhotshampas who have no prospect of claiming any nationality other than Bhutanese and that the donors should provide increased support for new programs and projects in the south Bhutan and the east Nepal to create new economic and educational opportunities which do not discriminate in purpose or effect, including on the basis of race or ethnicity; and to facilitate voluntary repatriation and local integration.” Bhutan News Service