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Note no. 248
16. 12. 2004
BHUTAN: The refugees are getting restive: Update 43
by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan
There appears to be no forward movement from Bhutan government either in renewing the verification process after the abrupt return of the Bhutanese officials following the incidents at Kudenabari camp in the last week of December last year or in repatriating the bonafide citizens under categories I & II of the same camp who have been waiting for the last one year.
Realisation has set in even among those verified that Bhutan has no intention of taking back any refugee from the camps despite periodical assertions to the contrary from the government. It was thought that after the King’s working visit to India in the last week of November, there will be some change of mind or at least an announcement about speedy solution to the problem that has continued for fifteen years. But it was not to be. India apparently continues to maintain that it is a bilateral problem between the two countries and is to be settled between the two countries by direct negotiations.
The refugee issue is not going to die and on the contrary is likely to gather momentum in the camps, in Nepal, India and internationally. Nepal is also being seen to be taking a more aggressive stand and has openly expressed its disappointment and frustration in many forums.
In order to make the people of India aware of the problem, the refugees organised a three-day Satyagraha at Jantar Mantar starting from 14th December. Over 50 Bhutanese refugees, supported by many Indians under the auspices of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Society took part in the Satyagraha on the first day. Former defence Minister George Fernandes and former Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh Jagadambika Pal, besides others expressed solidarity to the cause on that day.
On the second day 30 refugees including nine women participated in the Satyagraha. Among those who sat through the day were Prof. Balraj Kumar, Vice President of Samata Party, Ramesh Sharan of Gandhi Peace Foundation. Many other activists’ leaders also visited the refugees.
The programme will continue for the third day. On the fourth day, a convention on Bhutanese Human Rights & Refugees is also being held.
Based on unconfirmed reports that the Bhutanese refugees are going to march into Bhutan through Indian territory under the programme of "Bhutan Chalo" movement on December 4, 2004, the West Bengal government alerted the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri administrations for posting security forces along the border to prevent such crossings. Actually there was no such plan among the refugees though it could happen in the near future. The point to be noted here is that the refugee question cannot be treated as a bilateral issue as any action by the refugees would have an impact on Indian security too.
Rijal leaves for U.S.A.:
Tek Nath Rijal left for U.S.A. December 10, to attend an "Inter religious International Federation for World peace." He was joined by two others Pramod Kafley and Hiranya Shrestha as part of the team to represent the BRRSG ( Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Support Group). This group consisting of former politicians, former ambassadors and ministers of Nepal was formed in August 2002 as a concerned group in support of the refugees. The Nepalese Ambassador to US, Kedar Bhakta Shrestha is expected to coordinate with the team to arrange appointments and put forth the problem of refugees before concerned US officials.
Before leaving for U.S.A., Rijal visited Jhapa, but surprisingly he did not visit the camps. Instead, he convened a meeting of the leaders of the refugee camps at Chandragadhi and addressed them. While asking the political parties to keep off the refugees, he formally announced that he would take over the leadership of the refugees. He made a mention that he has not been given refugee status and as such could not enter the camps, though reports indicate that he is deliberately avoiding the camps on advice from someone that his security is endangered.
Rijal cannot take over the leadership unless he becomes a refugee himself and registers in one of the camps. It is not clear what is holding him up to register himself as a refugee. If he is afraid of security within the camps, he can never lead the refugees.
Nepal’s dilemma:
It is noticed that Nepal is getting increasingly aggressive over the refugee issue. Nepal had through official communications repeatedly assured security for Bhutanese officials in and around the verification centres in the event of verification being renewed. Bhutan had shown no inclination to continue the verification.
The first indication of Nepal’s change of policy noticed was the issue of a travel document to Tek Nath Rijal for his visit to Geneva in September this year. In the visit to US by Rijal, Nepalese ambassador in U.S.A. is openly conducting them to arrange meetings. Addressing a three-day seminar on Refugee and Humanitarian law arranged by the UNHCR, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nepal accused the government of Bhutan in deliberately delaying the repatriation process of the refugees living in Nepal. He said that despite Nepal sticking to bilateral process and adopting a very accommodating approach, Bhutan has been disturbingly slow and halting in reciprocating their (Nepal’s) neighbourly and friendly gesture.
Nepal by its policies is certainly moving towards internationalising the issue. At the same time, they are faced with the prospect of international agencies requesting Nepal to absorb some proportion of the refugees as part of an overall settlement where some third countries could accommodate them.
Nepal is thus faced with a dilemma as it will be politically unwise to make any offer of settlement of the refugees in Nepal itself. Also some of the refugee leaders including Rijal are against settlement anywhere else other than Bhutan. Also no third country would offer settlement unless the burden is shared by Bhutan and Nepal as well.
Yet, the refugee crisis is slowly but surely getting internationalised. A high profile European Commission team is due to visit Nepal, Bhutan & India. The refugee representatives have already met the Foreign Minister of Nepal and appealed to him to give up the bilateral process and formally seek intervention of international community including the US and the European Commission and find a durable solution to the refugee problem.
What one notices now is that the patience of over hundred thousand refugees is running out. This is not a good sign.
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