Chairman of the Bhutanese Refugee Representative Repatriation Committee, Dr Bhampa Rai, informed the south Asian delegates for the need to find the durable resolution to Bhutanese refugee issues. He opined that the third country resettlement was not solution. He rather termed it, “dignified human trafficking”.
In same breathe, he stressed on the right to return of all Bhutanese who had opted for third country resettlement because they were offered a Hobson choice.
The Bhutanese citizen’s right to repartition is paramount and international community must pressure the Bhutanese regime to initiate repatriation, according to him.
He was co-chair in one of the thematic sessions during the Regional Conference on Challenges and Way Forward for Democracy and Peace in South Asia organised by South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) held on 1-2 July, 2011 in Kathmandu.
Nepali Deputy Prime Minister Mohan Adhikari inaugurated the conference. The other dignitaries present during the conference were Mani Shanker Aiyar, Member of Rajya Sabha, India, Bam Dev Gautam – Vice President – CPN-UML , Prof. Selvy Thiruchandran, Sri Lanka, Hridayash Tripathi – Vice President -TMDP, Ms Chitra Lekha Yadab – Treasurer – NC, C.P. Gajurel – Secretary – UCPN-M.
Karma Duptho, secretary of Druk National Congress was other Bhutanese delegate present during the conference.
