Sept 17: Armed Police Force (APF) in all three Beldangi camps tightened security systems in view of rise in unruly activities.

According to our Beldangi correspondent Binod Sanyashi, APF prohibited refugees from moving around and within the camps after 7.30 in the evening.

Our correspondent further added that APF has kept continual vigils almost 24 hours a day and that refugees are gradually feeling secured inside camps.

Following the murder of social activist KB Khadka on September 8, refugees repeatedly accused local authorities of paying less attention towards fragile security inside camps.

Sept 16: The arrested duos in connection to murder of late KB Khadka are identified as Kumar Baniya of Garamuni in Birtamode and Bhim Chandra Chudal of Ghailaduba ward number 9 in Jhapa district.

Our correspondent Arjun Pradhan quoted Nabin Karki, inspector of Sub-police post in Damak as saying that the duos were just pickpockets and that they denied involvement in murder during the investigation.

Earlier, following the suspicion of Damber Karki, the living eye-witness of the murder of late Khadka, the duos were arrested by police with the help of youths while they were travelling inside the same bus with Karki.

Sept 16: The managing director (MD) of construction development corporation limited (CDCL) under the works and human settlement ministry has been suspended following an anti-corruption commission (ACC) investigation.

The ACC had written a letter to the ministry, stating that they saw evidence of corruption against the CDCL MD. Ministry officials said that the managing director, Sonam Dorji, was suspended last week, following an order from ACC.

The MD has been accused of embezzlement in the purchase and handling of construction equipment and material.

Ministry officials also said that his services would remain suspended until the ACC investigation was over.

Sept 16: One child was killed when an inland waterway drowned him in Beldangi-I camp in Jhapa Nepal today. The deceased is identified as Niraj Poudel, 9, of Beldangi-I camp in Sector F/1-95.

According to the relatives of late Poudel, he was drowned by the canal irrigated from Ratuwa River, lying near Beldangi-I camp.

Due to temperature going high in Jhapa district, a large number of refugees including children are attracted towards swimming in the nearby river.    

By Kazi Gautam
Syracuse, NY, Sept 16: A Bhutanese refugee resettled in New York in USA has disclosed that a local textile company in Syracuse has told him to change his attire and wipe tika from the forehead in order to get a job.     

Chandra Kanta Pokharel, 34, a refugee from Bhutan being resettled here in Syracuse had to face serious discrimination on his traditional practices.   

The incident occurred few days back when he faced an interview at Coyne Textile Services (CTS), a local textile company in Syracuse.

“Every thing went smoothly until Merci Magari, the interviewer picked on me about my religious practices”, said Pokhrel, adding- “In order to be suitable for the position, I was told to change my attire and wipe Tika, a red pigment worn on my forehead.”

He further said that he was really upset to hear about such mal practices going on in the country where people around the globe come thinking that they will be allowed to exercise their right to religion.  

Talking to BNS, Mary Kane, job developer at the Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) run by Syracuse City School District showed “surprise” about the incident.

“In fact, I was there as I took Chandra for the interview at CTS. I was taken aback by the interviewer’s approach which I immediately protested”, said Mary, adding that she has never heard of such incident.

“Although the companies have their own policies, there are also laws in our country that protect people. There should not be any discrimination on the basis of one’s religion,” added Mary.    

Hari Bangaley, one of the case managers at the Catholic Charities that resettles the refugees from around the world seems very hostile to the act of the interviewer.

“I strongly condemn it as I don’t see any reason why employers come up with such inappropriate questions which do not have any relation with the kind of work people are supposed to perform,” said Bangaley, adding that the lady at the company should clarify her stance.

Despite several attempts, the interviewer could not be immediately available for comments. 

There are over 700 Bhutanese refugees being resettled in Syracuse, among whom only half of the population have been employed so far.

Interfaith Works, another refugee resettlement agency operating in Syracuse, Catholic Charities and RAP assist refugees seek employment.

Pokharel, a Hindu priest while in camp, arrived in USA under resettlement on March 24, 2009. According to Hindu religion, putting tika on forehead is one of the traditional practices. A vast majority of Nepali-origin refugees from Bhutan practice this trend since years.   

UNHCR and International Organisation for Migration often assure refugees of having their right to religion safeguarded in USA before they board the flights from temporary camps in Nepal.

This is the first time that a resettled refugee has complained of attempts for encroachment on right to religion.

Damak, September 16: Damak-based Nepal Police arrested two suspects of Khadka’s murder today following a tip-off from Damber Bahadur Karki, the only eye-witness of the brutal killing that took place a week ago.

Karki’s father informed BNS correspondent in camp that those suspects were travelling in the same bus, when Karki saw one of them, just beside his seat.

“He started behaving abnormal as soon as he saw that guy”, said one of his friends adding,” I quickly stepped down the bus and informed police when Damber told me that same boy who murdered his uncle was there.”

According to this person, who requested his anonymity, Damber acted as if he was psychologically unfit; shivering and shouting for his safety.

When police stopped the bus, one could manage to flee the scene while two of them were arrested following a long-chase by several youths including Karki.

Police have just disclosed that the duo arrested confessed that they were pickpockets, however, they denied any involvement in khadka’s slaying.

Further investigations were underway, said Karki quoting police officials as saying.

While, Damber and a local youth who run almost a kilometer to arrest them as soon as the suspects tried to flee the scene, expressed their confident that one of the killers was arrested.

Karki, who is waiting for his flight schedule to resettle in America, told BNS that he is finding hard to overcome the grave scene he witnessed.

“I want to go to a safe place since those killers can kill me anytime.”

Karki appealed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration to expedite his process.

“Through BNS, I make my humble request to transfer me to a safer zone,” lamented Kari, who has completed his all processes including cultural orientation in the third week of July.

“I am staying with my friends,” he said adding, “I even feel frightened while going to bathroom.”

Sept 15: Addressing a program of graduates, Prime Minister, Jigmi Y Thinley has said that jobs vacancies in the government were going down every year.

Prime Minister also urged the 1330 graduates to look for possibilities of searching for jobs in private sectors rather then in the government.

According to the PM, the government is already very big, it can’t expand and therefore, the job opportunities should be searched in in the private sector.

The huge number of graduates was attending the orientation program in Thimphu yesterday, where PM also said that the government will require only a smaller number each year and that number is going to come down increasingly in future.

PM further said the government was unhappy about the four percent unemployment rate, but it was committed to creating employment opportunities for the vast majority in various sectors.

PM Thinley addressed the mass for almost four hours and responded to several questions asked by the graduates.

USA, Sept 15: Breaking his long silence over the fragile security inside refugee camps in Nepal, senior human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal has strongly urged the government of Nepal to beef up the security system in camps.

Speaking to BNS-run radio program ‘Saranarthi Sarokar’ (Refugee Concern) in Kathmandu Nepal, Rizal even showed about the possibilities of Bhutan government’s hand in stab-to-death of popular social activist K. B. Khadka on September 8.

Our Norway correspondent Ramesh Gautam converted the main theme of Rizal’s audio interview into texts. Experts.

How did you feel when you hear about the murder of social activist Khadka?
I was sad to hear the news regarding the murder of Khadka. This is a serious issue. Actually, many refugees are killed in the camps. Never a free investigation has been carried on to arrest and punish the culprit. I request the Nepalese administration to take appropriate measures to book the culprit. Not only to me, this has brought a strong trigger on many. We all should help the government of Nepal to make proper investigation about the incident.

Will the administration now take strong measures to bring the culprit to police net?
We should not say that the administration will not do anything. It must act promptly and do something. Even when former American ambassador to Nepal was stonned in Damak, many were of different opinions about the cause behind.

Even the human rights activists were blamed. Bhutanese Maoists were thought to be involved. But no culprit was arrested or punished. It is said that some important figures of the former camp management committee were involved in this issue. It is a matter of serious concern that the persons involved were not arrested.

Meanwhile, an unknown group has recently warned the Bhutanese leaders of stern physical actions if they fail to launch strong programs for return home process. It is not known who is doing these all. It is due to the negligence of the administration that these sorts of unruly activities are occupying greater space inside camps.

You even met the Nepalese Prime Minister recently. You have been meeting with officials at the Home affairs in the government of Nepal. What are their responses?

We have been requesting the authorities to take strong steps when many such criminal acts have been gaining a good momentum. What has also been heard is that this murder has not been done from within the camp; some outsiders are involved. Who has been using them as weapons? Is Bhutan not backing them? It had been said that Bhutan had strong role behind the murder of R. K. Budhathoki, founder president of Bhutan People’s Party.

Is it not a ploy being played by the government of Bhutan to spread threats on the people to eventually blame them of the cause? Not only this murder, all other past issues should be carefully studied and dealt by the government of Nepal.

Do you think the security situation should be reviewed and made stronger inside refugee camps?
There has been no any security in the camps. I do not know what problem is with Nepal government regarding the security for the refugees in camps. Many have fled owing to weak security status, many are killed and many have commited suicide. No compentiation has been provided yet. Is it not that the social activits and those advocating for repartiation are under injustice? I will meet the Home Minister of Nepal soon and talk about the matter.

Do you not think that those who are advocating of repatriation are targeted?
From the very beginning, efforts have been made to make calumnies of those who are advocating for repatriation or to hurt them. American ambassador was stoned and the office of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) was bombed but later on even human rights activists were blamed. This is a sad part. UNHCR should talk strongly with government of Nepal Government. This is the responsibility of the UNHCR.

There are many who are devoted to social activities in the camps. There is the need of camp management committee for daily works to be kept on going with acceleration. Will these people not be compelled to opt for Third Country Resettlement owing to the situations like this?
The situation of compulsion has already been made by the UNHCR because those who have not filled the forms for resettlement are denied medicines even in the hospitals. The schools are getting closed. A child does not know when his father is going for resettlement but he/she is deprived of his right to education. The situation has become much critical today. The camp secretaries who are working as per the guidelines of the UNHCR are to raise voices for their security with it.

Click here to listen Rizal’s audio interview.

USA, September 14: Among the eight blacklisted refugees, at least three have decided to leave camps as soon as possible citing security reasons.

BNS correspondent in Beldangi camp in Jhapa Nepal informed that Subash Acharya, former camp secretary of Beldangi-II extension has already left camp and has strongly demanded for his security at the Refugee Coordination Unit (RCU), UNHCR and local authorities.

Our correspondent quoted Acharya as saying that Gopal Gurung and T. B. Thapa will also leave the camp soon.

Gurung and Acharya in separate appeals to RCU and UNHCR have urged the security for their family members in camps. D. R. Katel, one of the names in blacklist issued by Druk Leopard, who is now at the IOM transit centre in Kathmandu, will fly to USA within these few days under resettlement program.

A newly formed group calling itself as ‘Druk Leopard’ had issued warnings of physical attacks to at least eight refugees from various camps.

The group had warned those refugees to leave the camps soon along with their families or to face severe physical actions. Leopard has accused those people of leading the repatriation movement at the initial days and now becoming involved in pushing their relatives and family members to third countries.

Besides Thapa, Gurung, Katel and Acharya, the other blacklisted refugees includes Bhakta Ghimirey (former chief editor of Sandesh Saptahik), Pratap Subba (former camp secretary of Sanischare camp), Narad Muni Sanyashi (camp secretary of Beldangi-II) and I. B. Khadka.

Meanwhile, the Bhutan Chapter of Third World Media Network (TWMN) has shown deep concern towards the warning issued to senior exiled journalist Bhakta Ghimire.

“It is sad to learn that even journalists are threatened inside refugee camps,” reads the statement, which has asked the concerned group to respect the rights of journalists to work in a free and secured atmosphere.

TWMN- Bhutan Chapter has also urged the support of Federation of Nepali Journalists and International Federation of Journalists to help create conducive environment for exiled Bhutanese journalists to exercise their right to reporting.

Hague, September 14 : Some of the Bhutanese living in the Netherlands have provided financial support to bereaved family of late K.B.Khadka.

A press statement released by Ram Bahadur Karki Chhetri stated that they already transferred Nepali ruppes 32,371 to one of their friends in Jhapa, who will hand over the cash to Khadka’s family at the earliest.

The statement also strongly condemned the gruesome murder, and requested Government of Nepal to exercise immediate measures to arrest the culprit.

“Nepal government should work together with the innocent Bhutanese refugees to prevent any such killing in the days to come,” said Karki in his statement.

Remembering  Khadka as a rare Bhutanese leader who worked selflessly for nearly two decades for the wellbeing of the camp residents, the statement also mentioned that the camps have became insecure now-a-days.