Kaushilya Devi, wife of veteran Bhutanese human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal, attending ..

Half a dozen leading human rights groups have issued an appeal requesting for help in the treatment of top Bhutanese human rights leader, Tek Nath Rizal.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Inhured International/HimRights Life Line, Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), Grinso Nepal and Bhutan Support Group have appealed national and international organisations, members of civil society and professional groups to come forward to support in the treatment of Rizal.

Rizal was admitted at the Patan hospital (Bed no. 322) last week for medical examination and treatment. The 58-year-old veteran human rights activist has been suffering from diabetes, backache and other ailments for the past few years.

The rights groups have appealed all to send in their contributions to Bank of Kathmandu, Saving A/c no. 070200001741 (A/c name: INSEC T. N. Rizal).

“To support in the treatment of Rizal, in this hour of need, is also a support for on-going Bhutanese movement for establishment of democracy and human rights in Bhutan,” said Subodh Pyakurel, president of INSEC.

Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) has also urged HMG/Nepal and other organisations to extend all necessary support for the treatment of Rizal.

Former Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala and UML general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal, have visited Rizal in the hospital and wished his speedy recovery.

Born in Lamidada, Bhutan in 1947, Rizal served in the Department of Survey of the Bhutanese government for nearly a decade . He then entered the public life and was elected to the National Assembly of Bhutan. In his 15-year-long political career, he served as a member of the royal advisory council, member of the National Public Service Commission, coordinator of nationwide corruption investigation committee, among others.

All of sudden, Bhutanese king Jigme Singye Wangchuk expelled him from the royal advisory council in 1988. He was detained for a week and was expelled from the country. While in exile, he founded the People’s Forum for Human Rights in Bhutan – that advocated for establishment of democracy and human rights in the tiny Himalayan kingdom.

During the last days of Panchayat under the direct rule of late King Birendra, Nepal Police detained him from eastern district of Jhapa (in November 1989), brought him to Kathmandu and extradited him secretly to Thimpu.

After serving ten long years in various Bhutanese prisons (1989-99), Bhutanese king declared him ‘innocent’ and ordered his release.

Chairman of Human Rights Council of Bhutan since 2003, Rizal was awarded with the ‘Ambassador for peace: the inter-religious and international Federation of World Peace’ award in South Korea last year.

Rizal has been calling upon the international community to exert pressure upon the Bhutanese monarch to accept over 100,000 Bhutanese citizens who are languishing in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal for the last 15 years.

So far, there has been no progress in that direction.