Bhutanese refugees stage hunger strike

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb. 18: Joining hands with their fellow expatriates in Khudunabari camp, Bhutanese refugees in Sanischare and Timai shelters started relay hunger strike today to press for prompt and dignified return to their homeland. Similarly, refugees in three camps in Beldangi started similar hunger strike on Monday demanding early repatriation of the over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees forcefully evicted from the Dragon Kingdom 12 years ago and languishing in camps in eastern Nepal.
According to a press statement issued by the Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Representative Committee (BRRRC) from Jhapa, Bhutanese refugees in Beldangi, Sanischare, Timai and Goldhap organised a mass cycle rally on Monday. Nearly 500 refugees took part in the cycle that started in Sanischare camp. Likewise more than 100 people attended in the cycle rally at Goldhap camp but they were not allowed to come out of the camp area. A few protesters defied and managed to come out from the camp area and join the rally from Timai, the BRRRC statement said.

More than 12,000 verified refugees in Khudunabari camp have been in an indefinite relay hunger strike since last month demanding early repatriation and publication of the result of their verification. The outcome of the Joint Verification Team (JVT) screening that completed its work nearly a year ago, is yet to be brought out. The 12th round of Nepal Bhutan Joint Ministerial Meeting in Kathmandu last month has scheduled date for starting categorisation of the verified refugees in Bhutan from February 24.

The number of exiled Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese origin has crossed 100,000 in the last 13 years. They have been taking shelters in seven UNHCR managed camps in two districts of eastern Nepal.

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