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Kathmandu Tuesday July 31, 2001 Shrawan 16, 2058.
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With renewed commitment
Aprominent political Party of Bhutan is waging its struggle
for human rights and democracy since its inception in 1994. In 1997, President of the
Party Rongthong Kunley Dorji, who was leading a coalition Bhutanese political parties -
the United Front for Democracy in Bhutan- was arrested in New Delhi on the request by the
Royal Government of Bhutan on various politically motivated charges. Since then, he has
been facing an extradition trial and is being kept under mobility restriction of by the
Indian government.
The prolonged detention of Dorji in New Delhi since 1997, has
caused severe inconvenience for him to lead the Bhutanese struggle for democracy. In light
of this setback to the Party, the Druk National Congress (DNC) Central Committee meeting
unanimously elected Party’s senior leader Choeku Dukpa as its working president to
carry out day to day activities of the Party towards fulfilling the aims and objectives of
the party.
Dukpa expressed his anguish and dismay for years-long
detention of the Party President in New Delhi. DNC reiterated its decision to welcome the
verification of the Bhutanese refugees by the Joint Verification Team but deeply expressed
its disappointment over its slow progress. The meeting resolved to appeal to His
Majesty’s Government of Nepal to take steps to speed up the verification process so
that the genuine Bhutanese citizens will not be deprived of their right to return to their
motherland - Bhutan.
DNC expressed that the ongoing resettlement by the royal
regime in southern Bhutan - the land vacated by the refugees, who are waiting for
returning home, is not being done with a good intention. The double standard policy of the
government in Bhutan clearly reflects its dubious stand towards finding a peaceful and
lasting solution to the Bhutanese refugee crisis.
Narad Adhikari
DNC General Secretary |
