A week after the completion of 12-day long fasting-to-death by 12 women, including a Nepali and two Indian married to exiled Bhutanese demanding refugee status and other facilities, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has clarified that non-Bhutanese women married to Bhutanese refugees will not be accepted as refugees at any cost.

Talking to reporters in Beldangi on Tuesday, UNHCR’s Country Representative in Nepal, Stephane Jaquemet, expressed that no Nepalese citizens would be accepted as refugees in Nepali soil, including women married to refugees from Bhutan.

Hinting that the ongoing third country resettlement has motivated some Nepalese and Indian women to refugee camps, Jaquemet also mentioned that such cases have increased in recent years.

“The third country resettlement is meant for Bhutanese refugees, not for Nepali or Indian. The resettling countries will not accept non-Bhutanese for resettlement,” said Jaquemet.

However, children born of those mothers can obtain refugee status, he claimed.

According to him, resettlement for such cases would only be accepted by the resettling country to maintain the family ties on humanitarian grounds. “If they qualify for resettlement, they will be accepted by the resettling country as Nepali or Indian, but not Bhutanese refugees.”

The Ministry of Labour and Human Resources has directed people of Indian origin working in the country to leave by Tuesday, November 29. However, no Bhutanese media from inside have reported the ministry’s order, and the actual reason behind this matter has remained yet unclear.

According to reports, convenor of overseas affairs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vijay Jolly, has sent a letter to the King and Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, lodging a complaint against the move.

He said that the order violated the India-Bhutan friendship treaty clause 5, which envisages a closer co-relation between the people of the two nations.

“About 3,000 businessmen, workers and their dependents – all of Indian origin – working in Bhutan and contributing towards its growth and development for over 40-50 years, have been directed to get out of the Buddhist nation by Tuesday, November 29, 2011,” reports quoted Jolly as saying.

The BJP further said that Bhutan has always been a home away from home.

“Indians have lived and worked hard and productively in Bhutan. This category of people would never be an impediment to the indigenous Bhutanese workforce,” Jolly wrote in his letter.

Although it is a verbal order, but the signatures of the said affected people have been taken by the authorities, added reports.

He further added that most of these people are small-time businessmen/traders and workers.

“They have nowhere else to go and nothing to fall back upon as they have already spent the prime of their lives in Bhutan working for the country.”

The BJP also warned the Government of Bhutan that those Indian nationals have never been a threat to the integrity, unity, independence, sovereignty, socio-economic and cultural growth of Bhutan.

On behalf of BJP, Jolly demanded ‘The People of Indian Origin’ in Bhutan be treated with honour and respect. BJP has requested the king to intervene in the matter urgently and rescinded the order.

Aimed at supporting 12 women including breast-feeding mothers, who fasted-to-death for 12 days, and nine children associated with them, the Bhutan Media Society has launched an online donation drive, involving the resettled communities of various eight countries and their well-wishers, Monday.

The drive was closed at 12:00 mid-night Nepal Standard Time on December 5. We are no longer able to accept your donations anymore.

The women, who expressed firm determination to suffer for 12 days without foods, say they need some dietary supports to regain their lost health, said Manager of the Society Vidhyapati Mishra. He has been monitoring the situation from the very start of the protest.

All women in the protest and their children lack rations supplied by the World Food Program, for they don’t have official registration or refugee identity cards.

“The women, who were immediately rushed to the AMDA Hospital for their treatment as they agreed to call off their protest, have already been discharged,” said Mishra.

“Though the women have been assured their further follow-ups, they feel that they still need a week or two to come back to the normal stage to earn their daily breads for their children, and some financial supports.”

Based on the their request, the Society has decided to garner some supports from the resettled Bhutanese community, their organizations and well-wishers of exiled Bhutanese, added Mishra.

The Society and its associates have appealed every Bhutanese to support the initiative on humanitarian grounds.

According to Mishra, the official website of Bhutan News Service will publish details of all donations made on regular basis, like in various donations drives conducted by the Society.

The donation drive lasts until mid-night of December 5, 2011, Nepal Standard Time.

Contributions made as of now:
1. Durga Giri, United Kingdom, US $ 20

2. Anju Kumari Shrestha, California, USA, US $50

3. Alice Verheij, Netherlands, US $10

4. Narayan Sharma, Maryland, USA, US $ 20

5. Ramesh Gautam, Norway, US $ 17.85

6. Peter de Ruiter,Netherlands,US$ 10

7. Rekha Monger, Australia, US $ 20

8. Renuka Adhikari (Mishra), NC, US$ 11

9. Indra Rizal, Australia, US$ 10

10. Kopila Gautam, Norway, US$ 17.85

11. Uttam Rizal, Arizona, USA, US$ 11

12. Prem Giri, United Kingdom, US$ 50

13. Punya Foundation (through Lakshmi Dhakal, Netherlands and Hom Dhakal, Pennsylvania, USA) US$ 50

14. Lachu Sharma Sapkota, Arizona, USA, US$ 25

15. Rup Pokhrel, Pittsburgh, USA, US$ 25

16. Bhutanese Community in Netherlands (Contributors: Ram BK Chhetri, Gopal Gurung, Lalit Basnet, Khem Raj Bastola, TB Gurung and DP Mainali), Netherlands, NRs 5,739

17. D.B. Adhikari, Arizona, USA, US $ 10

Following mounting pressure from various sectors and firm determination of women in the strike, finally the Government of Nepal decided to commit in written to start the official registration process within the next five months. This has at least saved the lives of 12 asylum seekers, who fasted-to-death for 12 days. This is the longest fast-unto-death from the Bhutanese community in exile, thanks to their courage and determination.

The local authority, which said it was helpless to fulfill the demands put forwarded by women until the 11th day, appeared to bring the hunger strike to an end at the end, but without a serious mood. The time period offered by the government to address the humanitarian issue is too long. Probably, this is the longest time ever achieved by the government in general practices. And, hunger strike of 12 days definitely had demanded a time period of just 15 days or a month.

Several exiled Bhutanese have taken the gentlemen’s agreement as ‘it is better to have something than nothing’. However, there always lies doubt in the implementation part of the government’s commitment. The government has also failed to bring last year’s commitment into reality except addressing the demand of those who were absent at the time of distribution of identity cards.

In the next five months, Jhapa district would witness transfer of the Chief District Officer at least two to three times. And, there might be a new government in the country. By that time the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is responsible for bringing the commitment into actions, will have many new secretaries. Thus, the gentlemen’s agreement was simply aimed at bringing the hunger strike to an end. It lacks serious exercise to address the issue on humanitarian ground.

The agreement could have included a few vital things. Distribution of ration and other facilities on temporary basis unless asylum seekers get their status, and thorough medical examination of 12 women, who suffered during the hunger strike, on government’s support would have made the agreement stronger and smarter. In their absence, the hungry souls will remain so at least for about a year, and thorough treatment and dietary supports for women is doubtful, although the AMDA Nepal did play a laudable role throughout the protest period.

Following a written commitment from the government to start the registration of all kinds of asylum seekers including new ones within the next five months, the ongoing hunger strike was called off on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Acting Chief District Office of Jhapa, Yogendra Dulal, and Durga Devi Bista signed the agreement paper where representatives from various agencies, rights defenders, the camp management committee of Beldangi and journalists were present as witness.

Based on the agreement, the government expressed its written commitment to resume the installed registration for issuing refugee identity cards. Download agreement here

“The government has acknowledged all demands of put forwarded by the agitating women, and commits to start registration of asylum seekers, census absentees and cases of new entry,” read the agreement paper.

CDO Dulal also assured medical treatment of all the women, expressing sadness over their deteriorating health conditions.

“I have already instructed AMDA Nepal to ensure that women recover their lost health,” said CDO Dulal.

However, Bista, who was leading the fast-unto-death since November 15, expressed doubt over timely implementation of the government’s commitment.

“We need to wait for resumption of the registration process to see if the government is serious towards our demands,” Bista told Bhutan News Service.

Meanwhile, the AMDA Nepal transported all women to Damak for their treatment from Beldangi.

Fast-unto-death of 12 Bhutanese women, which has been underway since November 12, will soon come to an end following a written commitment from the government authority, yet to be signed with Durga Devi Bista in Beldangi-II of Jhapa.

Assistant Chief District of Jhapa, Yogendra Dulal and Bista, who has been leading the women team, will soon sign in an agreement paper where the government has committed to fulfill the demands of Bhutanese asylum seekers within the next five months.

Details to follow-up

At least four out of 12 exiled women from Bhutan, who have been fasting-to-death since November 15 demanding refugee status and other facilities, have been hospitalized.

According to the AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia) Nepal that has been monitoring health of the agitating women from the beginning, Indira Bhattarai, who was hospitalized Thursday night, is being treated at AMDA Hospital, Damak.

While, Chandra Maya Kharka, Renuka Mongar and Radhika Poudel, have been referred to Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar for further treatment, Project Director of the Primary Heath Care Project for Bhutanese Refugee (PHCP-BR), Dr Madhurima Bhadra, informed Bhutan News Service, Friday.

The AMDA Nepal has been providing 24-hour medical assistance by maintaining a separate medical desk for the women in the venue.

“Our assistance to these women is standby 24-hours on humanitarian ground, said Dr Bhadra. “We are doing our best to medically care these hungry women.”

According to Dr Bhadra, health conditions of all women in the strike have been deteriorating day-by-day.

“The blood-sugar level has come down, and they have developed acute weakness,” added Dr Bhadra, “Both the agitating women and Government of Nepal must be serious at this hour since longer fasting will create various side effects, including the threat to life.”

The 16-day activism to fight against and prevent all forms of violence against women has begun from November 25 across the globe.

First marked in 1981, the campaign aims to create public awareness to prevent violence against women.

Here in the camps, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and its implementing parties also marked the beginning of the campaign by organizing awareness rallies, and stage programs.

Various camp-based organizations, community groups and camp management committee also expressed their solidarity to the campaign.

The campaign ends on December 10, which is marked as the International Human Rights Day annually.