FEATURES NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Refugee Categorisation
Bhutanese Waiting To Return

By Uttam Maharjan

DURING the 12th round of Nepal-Bhutan talks held in Kathmandu in the first week of February 2003, Bhutan showed flexibility in solving the refugee crisis. The change in Bhutan's stand was perhaps due to the donors' meeting that took place in Geneva. At the meeting, Bhutan had to face the music due to its wrong policy towards the Nepali-speaking southern Bhutanese. As a matter of fact, the tide of the world community is in favour of a quick solution to the long-festering refugee problem, And, it was but natural for Bhutan's donors to put pressure on Bhutan to take back the refugees as soon as possible.

Process

Now, the Nepalese and Bhutanese technical teams are in Thimpu to initiate the process of categorising over 12,000 Khudunabari refugees. The verification of these refugees was consummated in December 2001. The prevailing tone at the time was that the verified refugees would be categorised and sent back to their homes, while other refugees would be verified in like manner. But sadly, nothing has come out of it due to Bhutan not showing eagerness to move ahead in the categorisation and repatriation processes. The refugee problem has since remained on the back burner.

Although the categorisation process has been started in Thimpu, the refugees are not happy. Rather, they are slamming the whole process of categorisation based on the four-group concept. There is a solid reason for them to fret. The refugees can be either Bhutanese or non-Bhutanese. Emigrated and criminal Bhutanese belong to the Bhutanese group itself. That is why, the refugees insist that they must be categorised into two groups only. And, all those belonging to the Bhtuanese group must be repatriated. This point has been raised by Nepal in several international fora.

The four-category concept, which was agreed by both Nepal and Bhutan way back in 1993, is a ploy of Bhutan to protract the refugee impasse. That is why, it has been insisting that it will take back only the first category of refugees, i.e. bona fide Bhutanese, citing its so-called legal provision that does not allow those citizens who have emigrated voluntarily to re-enter their country.

But the refugees claim that they were forcibly evicted at gunpoint by the Bhutanese authorities by having them sign voluntary migration forms. During the Kathmandu parley, the Bhutanese authorities challenged their claims and asserted that if the refugees could prove that they had been forcibly evicted, they would all be taken back.

A new development, however fleeting it might be, emerged during the 12th round of talks. The Bhutanese side came up with a new proposal that it would take back all 'willing' refugees. It did not, however, say what to do with 'unwilling' refugees. If this new categorisation were to be accepted, the existing four-category concept would stand null and avoid. But that was not to be as is evident from the on-going categorisation process in Thimpu. It was just a nine days' wonder.

It is not yet clear which type of refugees Bhutan is planning, if at all, to take back. The long-held stand of the Druk Kingdom is that it will take back only bona fide Bhutanese, leaving other refugees in the lurch. If only bona fide Bhutanese refugees are repatriated, less than 30 per cent of the refugees will see their homeland again. And, the remaining refugees will have to be either, assimilated into the country or settled in some other countries.

Both of the these options are difficult. In fact, it is Bhutan's strategy to completely purge the Lhotsampas, as the Nepali-speaking southern Bhutanese are locally called, and maintain the identity of the Dzongka-speaking Bhutanese throughout the country. That is why, the Bhutanese government has been settling native Bhutanese in the homesteads of the refugees in the name of agrarian reform.
It is also reported that the relatives of the refugees are facing hassles in Bhutan. They find it heavy going to find jobs. They are discriminated against in every field, be it education or otherwise. The so-called ethnic cleansing policy of Bhutan is an international crime. International law stipulates that making a citizen stateless is against humanity. If the refugees problem is not solved, it is certain that they will be rendered stateless.

Chance

The 13th round of talks is scheduled to be held in Thimpu on 24 March. At the meeting, the details about the categorised refugees will be discussed and a decision will be made as to the repatriation of the first batch of refugees. If the documents of the refugees in corroboration of their being Bhutanese citizens are to be accepted, most of them will have a chance to go back home. In case the Bhutanese authorities employ yet another stratagem to stultify the talks, Nepal must assess its whole approach and knock the doors of the international community. After all, the country cannot afford to shelter the refugees for ever.

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