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  Bhutanese refugee crisis.
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Posted on 10-16-05 10:40 AM     Reply [Subscribe]
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Bhutanese refugee crisis.


There are few option left with the Nepalese government and UNHCR to
conclude the longstanding Bhutanese refugee crisis. With UNHCR's
threat to leave its services by the end of this year, Nepal will not
be able to feed the over 100,000 refugee on its own expense. It
neither can give them citizenship and settle in its own territory
because there are other thousands of Nepalese living without
citizenship nor it can flush them out of the country, for it has
rendered shelter to the refugees for the last one-and-half-decade on
the humanitarian ground. So, certainly, if donor agencies shook their
hands off the refugee problem, Nepal would have to bear yet another
greatest burden.

Churning into the ways of probable solution of the crisis, three
options have come forth: repatriation, settlement in Nepal and third
country settlement. They are enough to give suitable to the problem if
Nepal agrees to go on with them. UNHCR seems interested in third
country settlement because it has not protested it when Nepal
government announced its plans. Further it claimed that third country
settlement is best option for those refugees who do not want to be
repatriated and do not wish to settle in Nepal as well.

Sources at the UNHCR offices in Kathmandu and Damak revealed that
refugee, especially those who completed at least higher secondary,
have been inquiring about the probable third country settlement
scheme. The destinations for third country, the rumour that spread
among these refugees, are United States of America, Canada and
Australia. Parents of many of these educated young refugees are seem
happy enough if one of their family member can fly to Europe or
America. This will assure them of food and shelter if not nationality
and identity. Many refugees take it positively that nationality is
second to life, but still there are enough who whirl the winds of
nationality against food and shelter. However emotional it may be, on
cannot fight empty stomach.

There are other reasons for increasing curiosity among the refugee
community of third country settlement. These are many instances that
those who were able to send one of their family members to west have
somehow managed to get ready to settle either in Nepal or in India
even if agencies stop assistance. Even in informal discussion and
talks Bhutanese political and human rights leaders wish third country
settlement. The top on the rank is Rakesh Chhetri who openly advocates
on the issue and encourages youths to opt it.

The issue of repatriation of third country settlement and repatriation
divides people into two halves. Those who stay at the leadership level
advocates for repatriation. Of course it is their obligation and vow
that they would one day win the government of Bhutan. The other group
is the old generation who are rather illiterate and semi literate. It
is their emotional whims that are not so unexpected. Dying as a
citizen of a country and in the land where they grew and given sweat
hopefully lightens their hearts.

Those advocating for third country settlement are the young and
educated. Other influential people in the camps in Jhapa and Morang
also wish it. However, their advocacy for early repatriation to Bhutan
has not ended. BRRRC- who claims to be the authentic body with
people's representatives, has formally denied the issue of third
country settlement and that it stands to say that Bhutanese refugees
must be repatriated to their land, has been severely criticized on the
ground that few of their members have also contacted UNHCR official to
pursue for third country settlement.

Even though it has not been shown evidently that leaders have taken
interests for third country settlement, many liked it to happen. There
are reason to say so ? people like Bishwo Nath Chhetri, Mangala
Sharma, Chhimi Dorji Wangchuk, Jeevan Subba, bhim Subba and many more
who once lead organizations never returned from their tour to Europe
and America, gone there to advocate and gather support for
repatriation of Bhutanese refugees to their land.

There are others who advocate repatriation but busy preparing to send
relatives to west. And finally the fate of 'nowhere' is on the head of
those who could not afford to settle in Nepal or India and have no
connection to Bhutanese organizations, who in turn connect them with
the organization in west and support them to fly those countries.
Others who managed to earn enough are ready to settle in Nepal even if
aiding agencies lifted their assistance.

The issue of third country settlement is raised not to kill the
sentiment of those leaders and older people of their spirit for
repatriation but to ask the leader specially if they were strict with
their words. All know that regular advocacy and activism on favour of
Bhutanese refugees can be sustainable if there are enough funds.
Leaders should have experienced that their activities and advocacy
were stagnated by the lack of budget. The only means they can earn is
to send as many their colleagues to west so that they can contribute
financially along with advocacy in the countries they settle.

It is not even prolonging debate that third country settlement is the
only suitable answer to get rid of the refugee problem. Other options
should also be adopted. Government of Bhutan, from the verification of
Khudunabari camps, has agreed that it was ready to take back over 25
percent of the refugee. However, if international pressures grow, it
would be forced to take over 75 percent, including all tagged
'Bhutanese' but called criminals and those who willingly abdicated the
country. On the other hand government of Nepal had announced that is
was ready to give citizenship to those who do not wish to go Bhutan.
If all these options are made open, the problem would get end very
soon.

On such verge of getting solved the problem, role of the UN Agency for
Refugee is crucial. Now the turn is of UNHCR that it must work to get
view of the individual refugee 'which option he/she chooses'. The role
of UNHCR has been growing even responsible at the time Nepal
government is concentrated to manage its own internal conflict. Even
then, it is the Nepal government that must empower UNHCR to collect
individual opinion of the refugee. The recent development has shown
that Nepal government is no more active with the refugee issue. This
has fueled the interest of Bhutan government who has long been playing
with the delaying tactics for repatriation. Early empowerment of UNHCR
to take decision would vigoriate to give solution of the problem.

Individual survey in the refugee community would certainly give result
that less than half of them are really interested in going back to
Bhutan at the present situation and under the same law. Especially the
young generation, who have grown in the democratic environment would
rarely feel going back to Bhutan is proud enough.



 


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