Asia Times: Bhutanese refugees still far from home


	May 10, 2000	atimes.com

India/Pakistan

Bhutanese refugees still far from home
By Suman Pradhan

KATHMANDU - The visit of the top UN refugee official to Nepal and Bhutan has failed to generate hopes of an early end to a little known, but knotty, decade-old humanitarian crisis involving the Himalayan neighbors.

After talking to the two governments and visiting the refugee camps in Nepal after arriving here May 1, Sadako Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said she was not ''very optimistic'' that the tens of thousands of Bhutanese would soon go back home. However, there are some indications of solution that may see partial repatriation of the nearly 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepali origin living in UNHCR-run refugee camps in the dusty sub-baked plains of eastern Nepal.

According to senior Nepal government officials who do not want to be identified, Thimphu and Kathmandu are moving toward an agreement on this. Bhutan has shown a willingness in recent months to take back a third of the refugees, they said. The officials, who have been closely associated with the Kathmandu-Thimphu talks on the issue, said the repatriation would begin after the process of refugee verification that is to start with the upcoming round of Nepal-Bhutan talks.

The Bhutanese were sent out of their homes allegedly by Thimphu's drive for religious-cultural uniformity. In 1988, in order to preserve the country's Buddhist character, Thimphu decided to expel all those who could not provide proof of having lived in Bhutan for more than 30 years. Because most ''Lhotsampas'', the mainly Nepali-speaking Hindu people in southern Bhutan, did not have proof of identity, tens of thousands of people had to flee, including senior government officials. Bhutan denies charges of persecution and claims that many of these people are foreigners who migrated to Bhutan illegally in search of work. It also says some of the refugees are ''terrorists'' out to destabilize the kingdom.

The crisis has defied a decade of diplomacy and international concern. The UNHCR chief's visit followed that by a European Union parliamentary team to Bhutan and Nepal with the same mission. Early last month, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook too came here to discuss, among other things, the refugee issue.

Ogata then travelled to New Delhi over the weekend, a capital which, many refugees, Nepalis and analysts think, holds the key to the crisis. Though she did not say so clearly, the UNHCR chief indicated that she would lobby for Indian assistance in resolving the issue. ''I think India is a country that has enormous influence in the region,'' Ogata told reporters here. ''And I hope their own support would also be there,'' she added. Many exiled Bhutanese leaders and Nepali officials would agree with this. ''Without India mediating between the two sides, the crisis cannot be overcome,'' said Bhutanese refugee leader Rakesh Chhettri.

Nepal's former foreign minister Prakash Chandra Lohani explained: ''The refugees traveled through Indian territory to reach Nepal. That makes India a party to the crisis, whether it admits it or not. India should mediate,'' he pointed out. Thousands of the refugees live in camps in India, through whose territory they had to pass before entering Nepal. New Delhi has consistently insisted that the crisis involves Kathmandu and Thimphu only and they would have to find a solution by themselves. Eight rounds of Nepal-Bhutan talks have been held so far without any progress. A ninth round is due soon and the UNHCR chief's visit visit was seen as adding urgency to the discussion.

According to Ogata, the latest round of talks would start the difficult process of refugee verification according to the four categories they were divided into by Bhutan and Nepal in 1996. ''This will be the beginning of the process of verification, and it should be fully underway within a month of the ninth round of talks,'' she said.

Nepal is keen to send the refugees home because their prolonged stay is causing resentment among local people near the camps who have to compete with the refugees for scarce jobs.

During her visit to the camps, Ogata told the refugees: They (Bhutanese authorities) are welcoming you back. They are ready to receive you and have prepared for your return.''

There has been much speculation about a secret deal between Kathmandu and Thimphu and refugee leaders are upset with this. ''Bhutan has got her wish,'' said Chhettri. ''It never wanted to take back the refugees in full. Now it can enhance its international image by taking back some of the refugees but ensuring that most remain outside Bhutan. This is another trap Nepal must avoid,'' he said.

The English language daily The Kathmandu Post quoted a member of the European Union delegation advising partial repatriation. ''Bhutan can have some of the refugees back, but not all of them,'' EU team member Thomas Mann was quoted as saying.

(Inter Press Service)

back to the top

�1999 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd.

asian sex gazette