NFD-Bhutan appeals Nepalese PM (Appeal)
Kathmandu, September 14: National Front for Democracy in Bhutan (NFD-Bhutan) has appealed the Prime Minister of Nepal to take timely measures and appropriate mechanism to find out an amicable solution to the exiled Bhutanese crisis.
In an appeal handed over to the PM before his departure from Nepal to New Delhi today for his official visit, NFD-Bhutan has made clear that the alliance is not against any individual refugee's decision to decide about their future. Bhutan News Service
Full text of the appeal
September 14, 2008
His Excellency,
Mr. Puspa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’
Hon'ble Prime Minister
Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,
Singha Darbar, Kathmandu
Sub: Appeal for early and amicable solution to the protracted Bhutanese problem
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the NFD-Bhutan (National Front for Democracy in Bhutan), a coalition of three major political parties (Bhutan Peoples’ Party, Druk National Congress-Democratic and Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front) in exile, we, at the outset to take this privilege to extend our heartiest congratulations to you in particular and to the people of Nepal in general for the establishment of Federal Democratic Republic in Nepal through years of arduous struggle, which is highly inspiring to the democracy loving people of the world. We make our special prayers for the success of Your Government under your dynamic leadership for preparing the best constitution for Nepal, which could be an inspiration to the other forces who are struggling for a democratic change, and accelerating the peace process to a logical conclusion so as to ensure perennial peace, prosperity and security for all time to come in Nepal.
Referring to the subject, we would like to express our gratitude to the people and Government of Nepal for granting asylum to the Bhutanese refugees for such a long period of time. We fully appreciate the process of initiating bilateral talks with the Government of Bhutan since 1993 despite of continued adamant positions taken by the Bhutanese regime, which ultimately crash-landed into an unending entanglement. The procrastinated problem continue causing more frustration and disappointment resulting to sections of the Bhutanese people are either opting for early repatriation with safety and in dignity or compelled to decide for a short-term solution by opting for third country resettlement.
Your Excellency, the NFD-Bhutan is not against any individual refugee's decision to decide about their future. If anyone thinks repatriation is not possible or not secure for their lives and opt for resettlement in third country or prefer local assimilation, we do not oppose despite of no other alternatives to repatriation for a comprehensive solution to the protracted refugee problem. Bhutanese refugee issue is purely by-product of the political problem in Bhutan and hence the NFD-Bhutan will continue its political struggle for the establishment of vibrant and inclusive democracy, human rights and rightful repatriation of the refugees, against the perceived security threat for the leaders and activists of the Bhutanese movement. The present so-called change in Bhutan is a pseudo democracy, which cannot fulfill the interests and aspirations of the Bhutanese people, who continue to be deprived of their fundamental rights.
Your Excellency, the NFD-Bhutan would like to make its observation towards the decision of the erstwhile government of Nepal for accepting the third country resettlement offer, which is actively spurring under the aegis of UNHCR and the Core Group countries (USA, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and New Zealand). We respect the UN's solution using three options (repatriation, local assimilation and third country resettlement) to address the protracted refugee problem anywhere in the world as universally accepted principles. Hence, repatriation being the first option prescribed by the UN system, we appeal Your Government for initiating the process of simultaneous repatriation of those opting for the first preference.
Your Excellency, the NFD-Bhutan is immensely thankful to Your Government for identifying the Bhutanese refugee issue as one of the national problems of Nepal as adopted in the Common Minimum Program of the Alliance. Further, we heartily welcome incorporation of our issue in the Honorable President’s first and historic presentation of the government’s Policies and Programs in the Constitution Assembly on September 10, 2008, which has reassured us with a new ray of hope for achieving an amicable solution. Since the past process of bilateral negotiations failed to yield any worth mentioning and positive results, the NFD-Bhutan feels to suggest the new Government of Nepal to adopt a new approach such as three prong strategies namely, (i) resume timeframe bilateral negotiation, (ii) seek India's help transforming into a trilateral process and (iii) play mediatory role between people and Bhutanese Government for a dialogue as a means for a comprehensive solution. In this context, we sincerely applaud Nepal's age-old influential diplomatic relationship with India, which could be advantageously explored through appropriate channels to convince her for playing regional leadership role. It is vital in the context of strengthening regional co-operation, peace, prosperity and security in consideration of the reality of the presence of a large number of Bhutanese citizens living under compulsion in the North Indian States of West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh for a pretty long period of decades despite of recent so called changes in Bhutan.
Your Excellency, at this juncture, the NFD-Bhutan would like to make this appeal for consideration to give priority in your forthcoming agenda, to,
1. form a permanent task force comprising of senior politicians, intellectuals, civil society members, human right workers, media persons and Bhutanese political and human rights representatives in exile to do adequate homework on the Bhutanese refugee issue, which should help develop appropriate mechanism for the government to find out acceptable, respectable and satisfactory solution on the refugee crisis;
2. take appropriate steps to garner India's support and to initiate trilateral time stipulated talks between Bhutan, Nepal and India to find out a comprehensive solution to the protracted Bhutanese humanitarian and political problem;
3. take appropriate mechanism as a part of Your Government's commitment spelt out in the Common Minimum Program to provide moral and logistic support for the Bhutanese movement for revitalizing its campaign at regional as well as international level (India & Europe) to garner adequate support and solidarity, which is inevitable to achieve early and amicable solution;
4. hold immediate talks with the representatives of the UNHCR and Core Group countries to give an equal footing to those Bhutanese citizens, who are eagerly opting for repatriation to their homestead with safety and in dignity, and consider initiating the process of simultaneous repatriation; &
5. give special consideration to grant political asylum for personal security of the activists of the Bhutanese movement as well as to those who have to remain in the camps until they are repatriated to their homestead or until an amicable solution is found to the problem.
Excellency, it will be a great injustice to the exiled Bhutanese citizens, who are patriotic and strongly aspire opting for repatriation, if our aforementioned appeals are ignored or let into a natural death. We are highly optimistic to the present Government of Nepal, which is expected to take timely measures and appropriate mechanism to find out an amicable solution so that justice prevails to the Bhutanese people.
We, therefore, make this earnest appeal to Your Excellency for your magnanimous consideration.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely,
Balaram Paudyal
Chairman
NFD- Bhutan