In what is seen as an evidence of running out of patience among Nepali authorities regarding over a decade old Bhutanese refugee impasse, a senior official has blamed Bhutan of employing delaying tactics and called upon the international community to extend support to the cause of the Bhutanese refugees.

Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are living in the UNHCR-maintained camps in eastern Nepal for the last 14 years waiting for repatriation to their homeland.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Refugee and Humanitarian Law’ in the Nepali capital Monday, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, alleged that Bhutan had been ‘disturbingly slow’ in reciprocating (Nepal’s) neighbourly and friendly gesture.

Saying that Nepal’s patience was thinning out, the minister also called upon the international community to strongly support the cause of Bhutanese refugees and their right to return to their homeland.

Bhutanese refugee community have welcomed the minister’s remarks that has come at a time when a high-level European Union delegation is in town.

Talking to Nepalnews Tuesday, a Bhutanese security analyst and rights activist, Rakesh Chhetri, said it was definitely a departure in Nepal’s policy.

Recalling the then G P Koirala government’s policy in the past that Nepal would go for bilateral talks, consult India and only then internationalise the issue, Chhetri said Nepal has done everything it could (to help resolve the impasse).

India has said it wants the issue to be resolved by its two Himalayan neighbours themselves.

“Since the bilateral process has simply failed, the (Nepal) government should scrap it altogether and go for UNHCR mechanism to ensure early and dignified repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees,” said Chhetri. He also demanded that an international tribunal should be constituted to look into the issue.

The ‘Joint Verification Team’ constituted by both the countries remains in limbo after the Bhutanese members of the team returned to their country in December 2003 ‘citing security reasons’ after running into a scuffle with the refugees at the Khudunabari camp. Reports said refugees had been enraged over some ‘objectionable remarks’ made by some Bhutanese officials.

Addressing the seminar, Minister of State Dr. Mahat disclosed that despite Nepal’s assurance of foolproof security to Bhutanese officials, Bhutan had not responded and instead was citing security reasons, said minister Mahat.

He also urged Bhutan to send its team immediately to complete all outstanding work.

Responding to a suggestion made by Abraham Abraham, the UNHCR representative in Nepal, Dr. Mahat said, “The government can’t accept integration of refugees in Nepal. We have to concentrate on repatriation since the refugees are Bhutanese nationals,” he added.

Earlier, the UN representative stressed on the need to look at all possible alternatives including voluntary repatriation (of the refugees), repatriation, resettlement including to countries in the region, and gradual broadening of assistance to encompass refugee hosting areas.

The three-day seminar will discuss rights of refugees, international laws governing them and the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nepal, according to reports. nepalnews.com by Dec 14 04