Bhutanese Refugees Have Renewed Hope In Returning Home

David L. Chaplin II
Impunity Watch, Asia

KATHMANDU, Nepal – After nine years of waiting, Bhutanese refugees by the thousands are still living in miserable conditions in Nepal, India, and elsewhere. They have survived this long with hope of being able to return to their homeland. Their hopes have been reignited, as on Saturday Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley said they would have to prove again that they were bona fide Bhutan citizens, but the conversation alone is progress.

Some 108,000 Bhutanese of Nepali-origin were forced to flee the country after Druk Government stripped them of their citizenship and forcefully evicted them from Bhutan in a manner of ethnic cleansing.

Prime Minister made these unfortunate remarks after talks with Nepal’s Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal due to regional as well as bilateral concerns and issues.

Over 105,000 Bhutanese refugees waste away in closed camps within Nepal since their eviction in the 1990s and almost 30,000 more living in India  and all over the world including Syracuse, New York. These refugees remain yet hopeful, as Thinley agreed to resume talks to allow them their return home.

The issue of repatriation for Bhutanese refugees has continued to be a foreign relations concern since their forced displacement.

A large number of Bhutanese refugees continue to live in seven camps within eastern Nepal, and have done so for over 18 years.

The two leaders held discussions regarding the bilateral relations and upcoming summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Thinley told reporters after the meeting. Bhutan is the current chair of the SAARC.

Thinley also said that consensus has been forged to hold dialogues which further strengthen the five-decade long relationship between the two countries.

In a separate interview the Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s foreign affairs advisor Milan Tuladhar also said consensus was forged regarding the issue of Bhutanese refugees’ repatriation through dialogues.

Ministerial Joint Committee talks have been delayed since 2003 with Nepal to resolve the lingering Bhutanese refugee problem, reports Kosh R. Koirala of the Asian Tribune.

“The date for the talks will be settled through diplomatic channels,” said Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s foreign affairs advisor Milan Tuladhar.

Frustration has risen as the Bhutanese side had not shown any interests to resume talks after an angry mob of refugees tried to manhandle the Bhutanese members of the Joint Verification Team (JVT) on December 22, 2003 reports Koirala, Asian Tribune.

Prime Minister Khanal´s request comes at a time when a significant number of Bhutanese refugees have opted for repatriation with full dignity.

Although the government has maintained that it wants to respect the rights of those wishing to return to their homeland over 44,000 refugees have already left for third country settlement in eight countries, a program spearheaded by the United States.

For more information, please see:

The Times of India – Bhutan dashes refugees’ home-coming dreams – 16 April 2011

Xinhua News (China) – Nepal, Bhutan agree to resolve refugees issue through dialogue – 15 April 2011

Asian Tribune – Bhutan agrees to resume bilateral talks to resolve refugee problem –  16 April 2011

South Asian News Agency – Bhutan resumes talks on refugees – 16 April 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive