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Bhutan must clarify stance: Nepal
KATHMANDU, DEC 26 - Terming Khudunabari scuffle on Monday as "spontaneous", Nepal today took umbrage to Bhutan’s statement on the incident, asking the latter to clarify its position on the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.
"His Majesty’s Government hopes…that the Royal Government of Bhutan will clarify its actual position rectifying the statement made by the Bhutanese JVT leader with regard to the procedures, terms and conditions of the return of refugees so that the eligible and willing refugees will be able to return to Bhutan in an atmosphere of safety and dignity," said a statement issued today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
It said that the announced terms and conditions were against the spirit of the lasting solution to the refugee problem as agreed by the 15th Ministerial Joint Committee (MJC) meeting in Thimphu in October 2003. "These statements were explained in a highly derogatory language not conducive to the kind of environment necessary for the dignified return of the refugees."
Some of the conditions include compulsorily speaking Dzongkha (language of the dominant Ngalung community), refugees replacing labourers working at road sites, and staying in camps for a two-year period in Bhutan as foreigner with no right to movement and no access to internal social security. This had enraged the refugees who pelted stones at the officials, causing minor injuries to two Bhutanese officials and one Nepali policeman.
Nepal also took exception to Bhutanese official declaring that Bhutan would not consider any case for review from the
appeals by the refugees
placed in Category 3 (non Bhutanese), saying "the two
sides were yet to finalise the matter as mandated by the 15th MJC".
Regretting the violence, the statement pointed out there was no serious injury to anybody.
It also regretted that the Bhutanese officials left Nepal the following morning without consulting their Nepali counterparts, adding that the situation had not reached to the extent of withdrawing the team and abandoning the exercise of implementation of the MJC mandate.
"This poses a serious threat to the process of implementation of the outcome of joint verification in Khudunabari camp conducted in the last two years."
The ministry hoped that the incident would have no serious implication in the overall progress on the refugee problem and added that the matter would be taken up on the sidelines of the next SAARC Summit in January.Posted on: 2003-12-27 04:37
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