Rizal becomes ill again

Kathmandu, December 19: Senior Bhutanese human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal has been admitted to Manamohan Memorial Hospital in Kathmandu on Monday evening for treatment of his ailments of nasal problem, loss of appetite and fever.

The 59 year-old most respected Bhutanese rights activists-in-exiles was suffering from various ailments for the last few years. His nose is swelling double than usual and blood glucose is more than 275 mg/dl. He was suffering from various ailments right from the prison days. According to his books Nirvasan, Ethinic Cleansing he was subject to a wide range of torture while serving jail term within Bhutan.

Nepalese authorities during the Panchayat regime had arrested Rizal and handed him over to Bhutan in November 1989. He then spent ten long years in various Bhutanese prisons with 24 hours shackles and handcuff until he was released.

The torture methods employed by Bhutanese authorities against him included tying with ropes, various techniques to cause mind shocks, food poisoning and harassment. He believed that all of his ailments had roots to the severe torture that he was subjected to while in the prison. According to his inmates, brutal Bhutanese royal regime treated him like an animal while in prison. For full ten years, he did not have an opportunity to look at a piece of `white paper' to write his love one. He was not allowed to write to his family or receive letters from them despite repeated requests from the International Red Cross.

According to his inmate Ram Bahadur Rai, Rizal was on huger strike inside the jail guarded by army and he completely abandoned foods and water.  After 27 days of hunger strike he got unconscious but the Bhutanese regime tried to kill him injecting muddy Saline Water in his body. After his release when he got opportunity to check up in US, doctor found some radio active element like radium in his body. So such type of brutal inhuman ill treatment and frequent terrible hunger strike in Jail, his health became worst. Even in exile he couldn't find money for well treatment and nutritious foods. As a result his health is deteriorating day per day.

Ever since he was exiled from Bhutan seven years ago, Rizal has been championing the cause of democracy and human rights in the Dragon kingdom and dignified repatriation of over 100,000 exiled Bhutanese- who have been languishing in UNHCR camps in eastern Nepal for the last 16 years. Bhutan News Service