Refugee sit-in demonstration demanding to raise issue in SAARC Submit

April 27,Demanding their issues to be raised on the 16th South Asian Association for Regional cooperation ( SAARC) submit going to be held in Bhutan on April 28 and 29, Bhutanese refugees has begun protest today. 

Protest lead by Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Support Group (BRRSG), Bhutanese Elderly Refugee Repatriative Committee (BERRC) is organized at Beldangi and Khudunabari refugee camps. Refugees sit-in demonstrate in front of Refugee coordination Unit, Nepal government‘s representative office in camp.  

Coinciding the submit,support group has send a memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh requesting to mediate refugee issue through Indian embassy Kathmandu today. Similarly Bhutanese refugee leaders participated in a seminar on right to repatriation of Bhutanese refugees organized by south Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and Bhutanese Elderly Refugee Repatriative Committee at Bitamode Jhapa. 

Whereas, six leaders among eight has reached to capital today, when one and half day left for submit.The first one to arrive in Thimphu was Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapakse. Rajapakse, who reached here this Monday, remained busy like other leaders in bilateral meetings yesterday. 

Meanwhile, the fifth regional meet of South Asia Free Media Association ended in Paro yesterday. Altogether 174 journalists from SAARC countries took part in the regional gathering. Organizers responsible to provide logistics to media persons are finding tough to allocate seats for some 300 journalists since the media gallery in NA hall just contains 106 seats. When no seats are available, journalists will be allowed to enter the hall only when their leaders address the summit.

Police detained Relay march Chief Badal (updated)

March 30, Armed Police Force (APF) has detained three refugees along with Badal Thapa chief of relay March campaign. Along with Badal, Tara Thapa and Dhan Bdr. Rai were caught by APF before starting “relay mass to Bhutan” campaign from sanischare camp, Morang.

Whereas APF has stated that, detention is keeping in view of security risk.

Chief Badal had informed public regarding the campaign two days before through a press release. He added, campaign is organized to  pressurize Bhutan for repatriation and seek concern of  international community upcoming SAARC summit on April 28-29 in Bhutan. Political forces in exile has  not yet made any public statement on this regard.

Source said that,”march has set internal goal to enter Phuenstoling Bhutan individually.”But detail road map including who and how will they enter country is not made public. It is said that Camp based repatriation support groups has support to the allies.

Relay march organized in 2007 had resulted loss of life and several refugees were vandalized by Indian security forces. Despite of several peaceful protests made by refugees Royal Government of Bhutan has not taken initiation for repartition.
 Click here to see interview with Badal after his release.

Stephane new UNHCR Nepal chief

Kathmandu Jan 13, Newly appionted United Nation's High Commissoiner for Refugees Representatives in Nepal, Stephane Jaquemet, assum his office yesterday.

               He  presented the Letter of Credentials to the Nepali Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister of Nepal, Sujata Koirala yesterday.Jaquemet, upon assuming office said,"l am haappy to be in Nepal , beautiful country,  UNHCR's largest operation in the world.

“We will continue working with the international community and the Governments of Nepal and Bhutan to find solutions for these refugees, including repatriation to Bhutan and resettlement to third countries,” said Jaquemet wrote the statement.

 According to a statement issued by the UNHCR, before coming to Nepal, he served as the UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, Beirut. Having spent 17 years with UNHCR, Jaquemet has held a number of senior positions both at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and in other UNHCR offices, including Indonesia, Togo and Croatia.

UNHCR has said, the Swiss national Jaquemet has a strong legal background, and served as Chief of Protection Capacity Section, Department of International Protection, at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva from 1997 to 2002.

Besides Bhutanese and Tibetans, UNHCR’s work in Nepal also includes providing protection and assistance to around 300 individuals from some 10 countries who have sought asylum in, helping find solutions for stateless people, and facilitating the safe transit of Tibetan new arrivals to a third country.

Since late 2007, UNHCR has helped more than 25,600 refugees from Bhutan to start new lives in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand.

Jaquemet has taken his position when the former UHCR Chief in Nepal, Daisy Dell, completed her tenure from July last year. She had served the UNHCR Nepal starting from January 2007.

China invited Bhutanese PM for visit

Dadi Ram Antim,Jan 12,

                         Hu Zhengye Assistant Foreign Minister of China invited Bhutanese Primeminister Jigmi Y Thinely as the first Primeminister of democratic Bhutan to visit China yesterday.Zhengye was in Bhutan to attend 19th round of Bhutan-China Boundary talks.

                       Zhengye said,"a mojority of work is compeleted, what's left is minor". He said that tremendous efforts have been made and the two countries should engage each other more frequently on broder discussions.Jigmi Y Thinely, Bhutanese PM said that the previous talks have been most meaningful,productive and had have a "special significance" in Bhutan-China relations, kuenselonline wrote.

                     China is soon hosting the World Expo in Shanghai and the Asain Games in Ghangzhou.A senoir Chinese delegation will be attending the SARRAC submit  in Bhutan in April as an observer.