Irate by the negligence of the Bhutanese government on the repatriation of the refugees, the California Bhutanese Refugee group organized a silent protest in the Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, on 23rd January and International House Berkeley on 24th January where the Bhutanese Minister spoke.
A glimpse of the protest in San Francisco. (Photo source: California Bhutanese Refugee Group)
A glimpse of the protest in San Francisco. (Photo source: California Bhutanese Refugee Group)
Bhutanese Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs, Lyonpo Jigme Y Thinley, was speaking on the country’s new development concept of “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) on the occasion.
A press release issued by the California Bhutanese Refugee Group said the protest was in support of Bhutanese refugees in exile and people’s movement for human rights and freedom in Bhutan.
A small group of men, women and children carried placards with messages that highlighted the Human Rights abuses by the Royal Government of Bhutan against its citizens of their ethnic group.
Following the GNH speech, when asked about the refugee problem, the minister said, “Bhutan always accepts refugees,” referring to the Tibetan refugees. “Then he gave convoluted answers expressing the theory of ethnic Nepali population explosion in the bordering countries of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the allegedly migratory nature of ethnic Nepali tribes searching for better life, suggesting that the Lhotsampas came to Bhutan as illegal immigrants. When the illegal immigrants were expelled, some Bhutanese went with them in collusion that gave political shade to the issue,” the statement said.
He further said that 25 percent of the present population in Bhutan comprises of ethnic Nepali origin and they are treated equally as any other Bhutanese.
He also informed that Bhutan will have parliamentary democracy when His Majesty the King will abdicate the throne in 2008. The crown prince will be enthroned and Bhutan will have a constitutional monarchy beginning a new chapter of Bhutanese history, the Bhutanese Minister said.
After the event, some people with knowledge of the root causes of the Bhutanese refugees met the Minister on the floor and pressed him to solve the refugee problem.
Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees of Nepali origin are languishing in the seven UNHCR-maintained camps in eastern Nepal for the last 15 years. There have been over a dozen rounds of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan in as many years, but to no avail.