International Campaign for Human Rights in Bhutan, a non-profit entity registered in US, sent an appeal to the US President Barack Obama and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of Indo-US summit to be held in Washington DC on September 30.
Talking over the phone with BNS, Suraj Budathoki, the executive director of ICHRB said that the purpose of appeal is to sensitize both US and India in the issue of Bhutanese refugees both resettled and waiting in camps to get repatriated. “It has become more imperative for the US to be engaged in the issue as over 90,000 Bhutanese have been resettled in the US alone.”
He emphasized the need for US to engage in dialogue with the regional powers in the south Asia, and India is obviously more crucial for attending to its immediate Himalayan neighbors, Bhutan being the special ally.
The appeal is also sent in email to National Council members, Prime Minister and the National Assembly members, speaker of NA in Bhutan, Bhutan’s envoy to UN in New York, US embassy in Nepal and also to the foreign secretary of India, Sushma Swaraj.
ICHRB expects some consensus on the agreement of repatriating some refugees from camps as had been indicated by Indian diplomats some years ago. Also, it is expected of Bhutanese government to fair treatment of families of refugees living in Bhutan and allow willing refugees to repatriate.
