Bhutanese refugee organisations have said they will organise hunger strike in front of the UN complex and some other diplomatic missions in Kathmandu from next Friday (June 2) to draw attention of the international community for early resolution of the Bhutanese refugee stalemate.
June 2 is celebrated as the coronation anniversary of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk who ascended to the throne in 1972 and coronated in 1974.
Talking to Nepalnews on Thursday, Bhutanese human rights leader, Tek Nath Rizal, said the strike will continue at least for three months if international community and government of Nepal did not commit to ensure early and dignified repatriation of over one hundred thousand Bhutanese refugees.
Some 40 Bhutanese will sit in the strike at the initial phase but number will go up gradually. Refugees have been staging relay hunger strike in all Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal for the last three months demanding international intervention to resolve the issue.
Rizal demanded that new democratic government of Nepal should immediately give up bilateral talks with Bhutan and ask help from the international community to resolve the problem. "It is the issue between the Bhutanese citizens and Bhutanese government. Nepal has no meaning to involve in it. All we want is that since Nepal is playing the role of a generous host for the Bhutanese refugees, it should call upon the international community to take up the issue," he said.
While a group of Bhutanese refugees will be staging sit-in in the Nepali capital, a team of Bhutanese refugee leaders and human rights activists will visit the Indian capital, New Delhi, to lobby with the Indian leaders-- both in the government and opposition—urging India to exert its influence to persuade the Bhutanese monarch to establish democracy and ensure repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.
The Bhutanese leaders will also take part at a conference being organized by the South Asian Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR) in New Delhi in support of Bhutanese refugee movement. Led by former Indian prime minister, I. K. Gujral, SAFHR has been launching a campaign in support of early and dignified repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the government of Nepal has decided to issue travel documents to refugees residing in Nepal who have to travel abroad. Spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, Yadav Khanal, told Nepalnews that the council of ministers had taken a decision to that effect on Tuesday.
Bhutanese rights leader, Tek Nath Rizal, had called Foreign Minister K. P. Oli last week and urged the Nepal Government to withdraw the decision of not issuing travel documents to the refugees made by the erstwhile royal government.
"We could not attend as many 12 international conferences despite invitation due to travel restrictions imposed by the erstwhile royal regime of Nepal," said Rizal. He also welcomed the decision made by the government of Nepal to issue travel documents to the refugees.
The royal regime had stopped issuing travel documents to refugees who were taking asylum in Nepal without giving any reason. Bhutanese, Tibetan and other refugees in Nepal had been affected due to the controversial decision taken by Shital Niwas under then Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.
Pandey, along with four other members of the royal government, has been put behind bars by the new government alleging him of conspiring against the spirit of people's movement 2006.
Over 105,000 Bhutanese refugees are taking asylum in Nepal for the last 16 years after the autocratic Bhutanese regime led by King Jigme adopted the policy of ethnic cleansing and evicted Nepali speaking Lhotsampas – who had been living in the country for the last several centuries and had valid citizenship certificates-- on charge of being illegal immigrants.
June 2 is celebrated as the coronation anniversary of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk who ascended to the throne in 1972 and coronated in 1974.
Talking to Nepalnews on Thursday, Bhutanese human rights leader, Tek Nath Rizal, said the strike will continue at least for three months if international community and government of Nepal did not commit to ensure early and dignified repatriation of over one hundred thousand Bhutanese refugees.
Some 40 Bhutanese will sit in the strike at the initial phase but number will go up gradually. Refugees have been staging relay hunger strike in all Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal for the last three months demanding international intervention to resolve the issue.
Rizal demanded that new democratic government of Nepal should immediately give up bilateral talks with Bhutan and ask help from the international community to resolve the problem. "It is the issue between the Bhutanese citizens and Bhutanese government. Nepal has no meaning to involve in it. All we want is that since Nepal is playing the role of a generous host for the Bhutanese refugees, it should call upon the international community to take up the issue," he said.
While a group of Bhutanese refugees will be staging sit-in in the Nepali capital, a team of Bhutanese refugee leaders and human rights activists will visit the Indian capital, New Delhi, to lobby with the Indian leaders-- both in the government and opposition—urging India to exert its influence to persuade the Bhutanese monarch to establish democracy and ensure repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.
The Bhutanese leaders will also take part at a conference being organized by the South Asian Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR) in New Delhi in support of Bhutanese refugee movement. Led by former Indian prime minister, I. K. Gujral, SAFHR has been launching a campaign in support of early and dignified repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the government of Nepal has decided to issue travel documents to refugees residing in Nepal who have to travel abroad. Spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, Yadav Khanal, told Nepalnews that the council of ministers had taken a decision to that effect on Tuesday.
Bhutanese rights leader, Tek Nath Rizal, had called Foreign Minister K. P. Oli last week and urged the Nepal Government to withdraw the decision of not issuing travel documents to the refugees made by the erstwhile royal government.
"We could not attend as many 12 international conferences despite invitation due to travel restrictions imposed by the erstwhile royal regime of Nepal," said Rizal. He also welcomed the decision made by the government of Nepal to issue travel documents to the refugees.
The royal regime had stopped issuing travel documents to refugees who were taking asylum in Nepal without giving any reason. Bhutanese, Tibetan and other refugees in Nepal had been affected due to the controversial decision taken by Shital Niwas under then Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.
Pandey, along with four other members of the royal government, has been put behind bars by the new government alleging him of conspiring against the spirit of people's movement 2006.
Over 105,000 Bhutanese refugees are taking asylum in Nepal for the last 16 years after the autocratic Bhutanese regime led by King Jigme adopted the policy of ethnic cleansing and evicted Nepali speaking Lhotsampas – who had been living in the country for the last several centuries and had valid citizenship certificates-- on charge of being illegal immigrants.
No comments:
Post a Comment