Nepal police arrests agitating Bhutanese

Kathmandu, July 21: Nepal Police arrested at least 14 exiled Bhutanese from a sit-in programme in front of the SAARC secretariat on the morning of July 21. They were demanding that SAARC should help them for repatriation.

A press statement issued by the Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) Bhutan, said, police arrested them while they were trying to block the gate of the secretariat at around 10 a.m.

The statement said that the arrest is against the commitments of the Nepal government to work for early solution of the crisis.

“We draw attention of Nepalese leaders, our supporters, well wishers and international community to put pressure on Nepal government not to repeat such acts in future,” the release reads.

The organization demanded the Nepal government to immediately address the demands of the Bhutanese and immediate release of the arrested persons.

The incident took place at a time UNHCR vice chief Judy Cheng-Hopkins is in Nepal visit. Bhutan News Service