With the objective of realising their wish of repatriation, Bhutanese refugees are planning to go on a “Long March” from Monday.

On the first day, 15,000 refugees – out of 106,000 – of all the seven camps will be heading towards Bhutan by crossing the Mechi bridge into India .

The Long March is taking place at the call of National Front for Democracy (NFD-Bhutan). The NFD has already appealed to the Indian government to allow them to walk through India into Bhutan. In the past, Indian security forces have always stopped the refugees from crossing into India.

The local eight party leaders have decided to help the refugees by accompanying them up to the mid-point of the bridge – which separates Nepal and India. Likewise, representatives of Indian MPs and civil society will receive them at that point. The refugees plan to enter Phuntsoling town of Bhutan by walking across Jayagaon of India.

According to Balram Poudel, vice president of NFD, they are planning to make the agitation decisive. He said the basic form of the agitation will be peaceful.

He has appealed to all the democrats and human rights workers of the world to lend support to their movement for repatriation. Meanwhile, Bhutan is holding second phase of its mock elections from Monday as a rehearsal for parliamentary elections scheduled for 2008.

In the face of preparations by the refugees to force their way into their homeland, Indian security forces are learnt to have stepped up security in the border area and has deployed security personnel on high alert.