Based on the result of the 15thround of bilateral talk between Nepal and Bhutan, which was held in October 2003, Bhutan had agreed to return verified exiled Bhutanese from Khudunabari camp. The Joint Verification Team completed its assigned task and published the result of categorization, which drew a lot of criticism from the refugees, human rights groups and the international community. Interestingly, the scenario took another angle following the Khudunabari incidence, when some irate Bhutanese were compelled to pelt stones at Bhutanese members of the Joint Verification Team in December, the same year. Since then, Bhutan has been making various excuses including security concern for Bhutanese delegates to give continuity to Nepal-Bhutan bilateral talks.
The 17th SAARC Summit has added some rays of hope on exiled Bhutanese as Prime Ministers of both the countries, Jigmi Y Thinley and Dr Baburam Bhattarai, agreed to resume the stalled bilateral talks to find a lasting solution of the two-decade long refugee imbroglio. In this connection, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, clarifies the government’s preparations to sit for a decisive talk with Bhutan in the first week of December. His excerpts:
What is the government’s preparation on Bhutanese refugee issue to sit for the next bilateral talk?
Basically, we already have more or less the same principles that Nepal has been applying on the Bhutanese refugee issue. We will move ahead following the same principles. Our first priority is to address the issue of refugees who don’t choose to resettle but want to return to Bhutan from Nepal. However, the government will continue telling Bhutan that even resettled refugees, if they wish, should be accepted back home.
We already have the Nepal-Bhutan Joint Verification Team (JVT). The team had verified some refugees (of Khudunabari camp), and we’ll press Bhutan to repatriate those verified first. Then, the JVT should be reactivated to start the verification of remaining refugee population. We want to sit for a decisive talk to find the long-term solution of this problem.
The Prime Ministers of both the countries have agreed to sit for a meeting in the first week of December. Even, same thing was agreed during the conversation with the Bhutanese Foreign Minister in Maldives during the 17th SAARC Summit. The government will very soon write to Bhutan to schedule this meeting.
Nepal has failed to convince Bhutan even after sitting for 15 rounds of high-level talks. How committed are you to convince Bhutan on refugee issue this time?
As of now, Nepal and Bhutan don’t have any other issues except the refugee imbroglio. Nepal has been always hopeful that Bhutan will be ever positive to our deal. We have been asking Bhutan to settle this issue immediately. Now, the third country resettlement has simplified Bhutan’s problem to some extend as the camp population has been almost reduced to half.
What we have been stressing is that Bhutan should accept the verified refugees since verification was done by JVT that was agreed by the Bhutanese government. Based on this, if Bhutan goes serious in returning back its citizens, the relationship between the two countries will enhance further. Not only this, both being land-locked countries in the Himalayas, Nepal and Bhutan can raise common issue in the international arena. The government remains ever committed to convince Bhutan to find the lasting solution of the refugee issue.
At one hand, Nepal has been issuing Travel Document and Exit Permit to resettling refugees. On the other hand, the government is trying to sit for decisive talk to repatriate refugees to Bhutan.
Nepal always wants refugees to return Bhutan but only on voluntary basis. If they want, they can also travel and get resettled in various western countries. While issuing Travel Document and Exit Permit, the government makes sure that refugees have their self-chosen interest towards resettlement. This is because Nepal always respects their right to return back to their own hometowns with dignity and honor. Principally, we will not have any moral difficulties in shouldering both the tasks.
What is your opinion to bring India in the talk?
We haven’t discussed this matter with India yet. We are exercising to initiate bilateral talk on new scenario. The international community is also aware of India’s role to settle this issue. This is why even other countries have been raising this issue with Bhutan on regular basis. Definitely, India can play a pivotal role in this regard. The government will first re-energize the bilateral talk with Bhutan. If Bhutan remains firm in its past position (for not accepting refugees), we definitely need to explore other options.
If Bhutan accepts only a few thousands following settlement of majority of the camp population, doesn’t it mean that Nepal is indirectly supporting the so-called democracy in Bhutan?
This also depends on desires of the refugees. The government has never compelled them to accept the third country resettlement package. Even if resettled Bhutanese are not happy to remain in the country of their settlement but want to return to Bhutan, Nepal will also ensure their rights. And, the government will tackle the matter in the similar manner with the Bhutanese team in the up-coming talk.
Transcribed from Saranarthi Sandesh of November 16, 2011.
