Editorial»
Refugee crisis needs a different approach
DEC 29 - As a school student, I had seen some of my fellow classmates’ masterful performance in duping teachers. They indulged in all kinds of mischief but got away with it as the teachers never got wind of their deeds, their eyes covered with the goody-goody image. Once in Std 7, an audacious one among my classmates threw a paper ball at a lady teacher, who had just joined to take our Biology class. The matter went to the Principal but the student was protected by our class teacher who happened to give History, Geography and Civics tuition to the boy. Moreover, the latter was a good student too, and thus the Principal could not do much about it.
Bhutan, a responsible member in the comity of nation, has unfortunately, proved to be the mischievous student with a protective teacher behind it. And, at the receiving end are the over 110,000 refugees now living a life of misery in the seven camps in eastern Nepal, particularly the children whose future is so uncertain. There are no prizes for guessing who the Principal and the teacher are.
This week, we saw a rare war of words between Nepal and Bhutan, and that too publicly. Nepal took the unprecedented step of going public while rebutting the Bhutanese accusations over the scuffle last Monday between the refugees and the Bhutanese officials in the Nepal-Bhutan Joint Verification Team (JVT). But only after Bhutan did so. The Druk Kingdom shot back again on Saturday reiterating the attack by the refugees was pre-meditated.
The week also saw two things raised by experts and the press in the country. One, Bhutan displayed the arrogant attitude towards the refugees and Nepal due to its military drive against Indian militants, which materialised after several years of Indian prodding. As one refugee leader pointed out, India will be obliged to turn a blind eye (not that it was open all these years as far as the Bhutanese refugees are concerned) to Bhutan’s high-handedness.
Second observation is that Nepal has time and again failed to read Bhutan’s real motive, which is to discourage its citizens to return to their homeland from where they were so systematically chased out in the late 80s and early 90s. And even if Nepalese officials saw through their Bhutanese counterparts’ game, they yielded rather too easily during the bilateral negotiations over the years, agreeing to “compromising clauses” (they admit this privately) so as to keep the dialogue process going. This allowed Bhutan to score diplomatic victory again and again.
Thus, we see a peculiar scenario. While the refugee problem has made a significant progress during the talks in Shital Niwas and Bhutan’s foreign ministry, things have remained the same on the ground. Both this government and the last one (both nominated by King Gyanendra) were obsessed with showing significant “progress” and Bhutan took full advantage of it.
Admittedly, while Nepalese foreign ministry officials were wearing a tightrope during the negotiations given the Bhutanese intransigence to move ahead, Shital Niwas cannot absolve itself of “failing” (that is, if they indeed failed) to read the Bhutanese intention.
There are several reasons for this. One is now a legion: Bhutan’s procrastination - after all it took Bhutan a decade to admit publicly that those staying in the refugee camps are its citizens - on the issue since the formal negotiations began in 1993, is well known.
Add to this, the stage-managed deliberations in Bhutan’s National Assembly (June-August 2003) in which the members demanded of the government not to encourage the return of “criminals” and “anti-nationals” who had created so much trouble when they were in Bhutan. Do remember that all these members actually say what the government wants them to say. Democracy in the Dragon Kingdom is still a far cry.
Simultaneously, the Bhutanese officials tried to sneak in certain conditions after the publication of the farce called JVT findings in June this year. The unilateral attempt was made again on last Monday, leading to the scuffle. That day, the Bhutanese team leader said even those categorised as “bona fide nationals who were forcefully evicted” would not get their original home and lands and those who “willingly emigrated” (over 70 per cent have been placed in this category) would have to stay in camps in Bhutan for two years, during which they have to prove their loyalty to the Bhutanese monarch, history, culture, and so on. He also said that review of the applicants in Category 3 (“non Bhutanese”) was over and that there is no change in the findings, a claim that Nepal contested, saying that the review is not over yet.
Moreover, in sending Sonam Tenzing, home ministry director and the one identified by many refugees as the master mind behind their evictions in the first place, Bhutan exposed its real intentions. When Tenzing visited the camps in January 2001 after the 10th round of ministerial talks, he was told about this. (This columnist who was in the camps to cover the visit witnessed this).
And now Bhutan says that the Bhutanese team is in shock and has added that they would not return to the camps.
What should Nepal do? There is an immediate need to put an end to the policy of appeasing Bhutan at all costs. The Druk Kingdom is not at all in the mood of taking back the refugees. It has now successfully fooled Nepal and the international community for many years. Don’t the latter two see the game Bhutan has successfully been playing?
In this light, how fair is it correct, on the part of Nepal, to force the refugees into Bhutan, where they are not going to receive a just and dignified treatment? Comments by Bhutanese nationals displayed below a kuenselonline.com report carrying the Druk government’s version on the Khudunabari scuffle is ample indication of how the refugees are viewed. The comments dubbed the refugees “thugs” and “so-called Bhutanese”.
This necessitates a new look at the refugee impasse. If the objective of any dialogue is the safe and dignified return of the refugees, then Bhutan must change its attitude. Right now, this looks like an impossible task. Nepal should go on the diplomatic offensive publicly, and try to bring out the true stance of Bhutan on its chased citizens. As for the international community, it is up to them what they want to do. Sanctions have been used elsewhere against States that have so obviously abused the rights of their citizens.
Yes, it is time to ring the bell, which should have been rung a long time back. Posted on: 2003-12-30 05:18
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