The process for large scale third country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees living in eastern Nepal has begun with the mass information campaign in all the camps, UNHCR today said.
The campaign is aimed at assisting the refugees to make an informed decision by providing them with accurate information, the UN refugee agency said.
This follows the decision of the Nepal government to allow those refugees who wish to opt for third country resettlement as an alternative solution to do so on the basis of an informed choice and acceptance by the resettlement country.
“UNHCR prefers to help refugees go back to their home countries when they can do so in safety and dignity, however, in this case, the only option currently available is that for resettlement in a third country for those refugees who wish to make this choice,” said Abraham ABRAHAM, UNHCR Representative in Nepal. He emphasised, “Resettlement to a third country does not in any way preclude the right of refugees to return to Bhutan.”
The UNHCR representative also urged the refugee leaders to respect the right of every individual to make informed choices and take decisions regarding his or her own future.
According to UNHCR, resettlement is the relocation of a refugees and their family from Nepal to a third country. This is done with the support and agreement of the resettlement countries as part of a burden sharing mechanism towards achieving a humanitarian solution so that refugees do not have to continue suffering in the camps.
On arrival in the resettlement country they will have legal permanent residence including the possibility for being citizens of that country in due course, if they so desire.
“The UN refugee agency together with the international community will continue its efforts to ensure that as many doors as possible are opened in terms of achieving lasting solutions to the plight of the refugees, including voluntary repatriation as and when return conditions permit,” the UNHCR release stated.
The United States has announced that it would resettle 60,000 refugees, and even more if required, while other members of the Core Group consisting of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway have also expressed their desire to take in refugees. Canada has already announced its plan to resettle 5,000 refugees.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Government of USA and to all the other resettlement recipient countries as well as to the Government of Nepal for supporting third country resettlement as a humanitarian solution,” said Abraham.
Resettlement to the USA is organised by the US government, through its Overseas Processing Entity (OPE), the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM will process resettlement of refugees on the basis of referrals made by UNHCR, and only where expressions of interest for resettlement have been made known to UNHCR.
During her recent visit to Nepal, US Assistant Secretary of Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Ellen Sauerbrey, had said that the first batch of Bhutanese refugees would land in the US by January 2008.
A senior US official has said that if all things proceed smoothly, the first planeload of Bhutanese refugees will reach the United States by late January.
Ellen Sauerbrey, the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, told a news conference, Saturday, in Kathmandu, that officials of Overseas Processing Entity (the International Organisation of Migration in this case) will arrive in Nepal next week to start interviewing the willing refugees.
“At this point, we have around 3000 refugees who have shown interest for resettlement,” she said, adding that the US hopes to process 15,000 refugees for resettlement in the first year and around 20,000 each year from next year.
Although, the US government has said it will resettle around 60,000 Bhutanese refugees, Sauerbrey said there is no limit for the number of refugees who want to choose this option.
Stating that the US government recognises the desire of refugees for repatriation, she added that “the US government has, and will, continue to press the Bhutanese government to allow the repatriation of refugees.”
Sauerbrey who is traveling to Bhutan and India from Nepal said that the international community is keeping a close eye in terms of any efforts by Bhutan to expel any additional people. She said that as a democratising nation, the image of Bhutan will be tarnished if they attempt to expel any further people.
On the issue of security situation in the refugee camps, the US official, who also visited two camps in Beldangi and Goldhap said, “We are pleased to see the level of security in the camps.”
Terming the US initiative to resettle Bhutanese refugees as a humanitarian one, she said that since the problem had been protracted for too many years, the US concluded it was time to offer alternative of resettlement to willing refugees so that they can have educational opportunities, jobs and free life.
She also spoke about the Tibetan refugees. She said the US wants to resettle 5000 Tibetan refugees but understands the sensitivity of Nepal government, which has not agreed with this proposal. “We hope that the day will come when we are able to do that,” she said.
Sauerbrey met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, on Saturday morning to discuss about the refugee resettlement issue. “The Prime Minister made a strong request to the US to continue to press Bhutan for repatriation,” she said, adding that it was no accident that she would be traveling to Bhutan from Nepal.
She said she raised issues like camp security and issue of expediting exit permit for the refugees during her talks with the PM.
She also met with Home Minister, Foreign Minister, government officials and refugee representatives during her stay in Nepal.
Kathmandu: At a German embassy reception, Monday evening, noted industrialist, Mohan Gopal Khetan, was heard telling the Danish charge de’ Affaires, says our sleuth, that if Nepal were allowed to function the nepali way, talks with the Maoists will also be held soon. Mr. Khetan also had predicted at the meeting with the Danish diplomat, adds our eavesdropper who was present at the reception, that the Maoists will in a day or two send positive messages for talks. Prachanda has sent positive signals for the talks well within a day of Khetan’s prediction.
Is it a mere coincidence or had Mr. Khetan some inkling on the events to happen in advance?
All that the Danish envoy had wished that the talks should resume earliest which is in line with all the peace loving and democratic minded countries of the globe.
A new Nepali news channel has been inaugurated on Monday.
RPP Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana, Chairman of Sagarmatha TV, Nirmal Gurung, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist Chairman Prachanda, Minister for Information and Communication Krishana Bahadur Mahara and NSP (Annandi Devi) leader Laxman Lal Karna (from left to right ) at the inaugural ceremony of the Sagarmatha Television, a Nepali language news channel, in Kathmandu, Monday, July 30 07. nepalnews.com/rh
RPP Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana, Chairman of Sagarmatha TV, Nirmal…
Top leaders of the political parties inaugurated the Sagarmatha TV amid a function in Kathmandu.
The channel will begin 18-hour a day transmission, according to Nirmal Gurung, chairman of Sagarmatha TV Pvt Ltd. He said the channel will raise its voice in favour of press freedom and democracy.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Maoist chairman Prachanda and UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal urged the media to help in creating communal harmony and conducive atmosphere for the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
The Health Ministry has prepared 15 medical teams to be dispatched to flood-hit Terai districts to control epidemic outbreak.
The Ministry decided to prepare the team and keep it on stand-by fearing the outbreak of diseases in the flood-hit districts. Doctors fear that disease outbreak could strike these areas due to consumption of contaminated water.
Already in Banke and other areas, reports have come out regarding the spread of gastroenteritis and diarrhea.
The government has on Friday decided to invalidate the passports of 34 more willful defaulters associated with 11 leading groups. Based on the recommendation of 6 government and private banks the Ministry of Finance (MoF) took the decision to this effect.
Among those whose passports have thus been annulled in the second phase are royal relatives, family members of former prime minister and entrepreneurs. Among them few are Indian and Bangladeshi nationals also.
Apart from having their passports cancelled, the black listed defaulters will also be barred from transferring ownership or selling their fixed assets, and assuming the position of director or promoter in any company. The following are the names of the defaulters and their associated groups.
Subash Kumar Sarraf (Dhoulisati Garment Industry)
Brij Gopal Inani (Mahalaxmi Garments)
Renu Kumari Mittal, Bisnu Kumar Mittal, Babita Mittal, Rajendra Kumar Agrawal, Sudhar Agrawal, Lok Raj Mittal (New Mittal Group)
Surendra Kumar Sarraf (JP Group)
Mohan Bahadur Shahi, Gopal Bahadur Shahi, Prakash Bahadur Shahi (Himalayan Brewery)
Niraj Kumar Surana (Surana Group)
Krishna Raj Joshi, Kailash Raj Joshi, Mujibar Rahman Choudhary, Mohammad Abdur Rauf (NB Garments)
Arun Chand, Bijaya Kumar Goyal, Sushila Rana, Harka Bahadur Chand, Rajendra Bahadur Chand, Ganesh Datta Bhatta, Arun Malla (Bashulinga Sugar Mills & General Industries)
Ashok Kumar Subba, Kamala Subba, Ganga Lingden, Ishwora Lingden, Diwas Bikram Shah, Tej Prakash Shah, Laman Subba, Sai Sai Hang Subba (Luna Nepal Chemicals and Fertilisers Pvt Ltd) .
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has reportedly sought clarification from Nepal Army chief Rukumangad Katuwal regarding the deputation of soldiers of Ranger Force of NA for the security of Maoist ministers.
During their meeting at Koirala’s official residence in Baluwatar Tuesday morning, army chief Katuwal also briefed PM Koirala about his recent UK visit and apprised him of other security matters including army’s activities, reports say.
The NA headquarters, however, said that the army chief had gone to Baluwatar for a ‘routine meeting’.
Earlier, in his meeting with Maoist ministers, PM Koirala had promised that he would personally ask the army chief on the sudden decision of NA to depute soldiers of the Bhairabnath battalion or ranger force for the personal security of the Maoist ministers.
Maoist ministers had expressed worries about their personal security following the episode and had even threatened to pull out of the government suspecting ‘conspiracy’ against them.
In yet another example of why state run corporations are slowly on the wane, it has been found that Salt Trading Corporation (STC) Nepal, the partially state-run corporation that enjoys full monopoly over the salt market in the country, has been selling highly unhygienic salt to the general public, raising serious health concerns for its loyal consumers.
An investigation has finally revealed that the quality of the “Ayo Noon” or packed iodized salt sent to the markets of 22 hilly districts of the country as part of the “Goiter Disease Eradication Project” has been found to be of extremely low grade and unfit for consumption.
A detailed chemical examination at the laboratory of the STC itself has found “inedible substances” in the salt, reports say quoting sources. The Ministry of Health and Population has also raised objection on the quality of the salt.
From November last year STC has imported salt worth Rs 500 million from India, of which more than half, according to STC sources, has been found to be unsuitable for human consumption.
Even though Parameshowar Mahaseth, former Chief Executive Officer of the corporation had issued a circular to its regional offices to stop any selling or distribution of the unhygienic salt, but flouting the order selling and distribution of the salt is continuing unabated.
The source also revealed that the decision to import this unhygienic salt and consequent selling and distribution against the circular was made by the corporation’s Finance and Commerce Committee headed by Rajendra Man Sherchan, a member of STC’s management committee,
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato said the government would carry out a thorough investigation into this scam.
CEO Mahaseth had handed over the authority of taking important decisions in the corporation to the 6-member sub-committee of the STC two years ago.
The corporation has long been planning to enter into international trade by opening its branch offices in a number of cities of India and China. The corporation is also said to be eyeing the Gulf region to develop it as a major trading area for exporting agriculture products there.
In what could be scene straight from a horror movie or Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’, a man in Morang district, Eastern Nepal, cut his own right hand and threw it as an ‘offering’ to Goddess of Death Kali on Tuesday.
Rajesh Tajpuriya, 22, a resident of Bardesha V.D.C-1, Morang, performed this rare antic today morning at the Kali Temple in Rangeli, all in one smooth action, to the utter surprise of the gaping priest.
Tajpuriya, who had reached the temple as any other devotee would in the morning, asked the complacent priest to bring the Khukuri used to kill sacrificial animals and cut his own right hand without a least bit of emotion. And, after presenting it to Kali, he made his way from there in the cab he came on without saying anything.
A huge crowd of onlookers gathered there to see the unusual offering, which still lies in the temple. However, the person to whom it once belonged is undergoing treatment at the Seti Zonal Hospital, where he runs a medical shop.
When reporters asked him what drove him to do such madness, he just kept his silence and looked away.
Faced with stark living conditions and an uncertain future, over 1000 combatants in the 4th Division of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Nawalparasi have fled the cantonments, according to a PLA platoon commander who recently fled the camps.
Kul Prasad Bhattarai alias Kusum told a reporters in Narayangadh, Chitwan, on Tuesday that the number of combatants in the main cantonment located in Jhyaltung Danda has come down to 1000 from the initial 1500.
Similarly, over 500 PLA men in other satellite camps have fled in the past six months. He said the UNMIN had verified 5000 combatants, but only 4000 of them remain in the camps now.
The former platoon commander also accused the Maoist party of misusing the funds provided by the government for the upkeep of the PLA men.
“Major portion of the government money is spent on other purposes of the party. The comrades have not got the Rs 3000 salary allocated by the government,” reports quoted him as saying. Kusum whose UNMIN registration number is 006 escaped from the camp Sunday night.
According to him, anybody suspected of planning to flee the camp is subjected to torture. Most of the combatants living in the camps prefer employment in foreign contries to any rehabilitation option.
Meanwhile, commander of the 4th Division, Pratikchhya, has dismissed the reports of growing defection in the PLA ranks. The PLA commander told local media in Nawalparasi that an average of 12 percent combatants are on leave any given time, which is why the number looks low.
Earlier too, there were reports of PLA men fleeing the camps. On July 20, seven combatants had escaped from the PLA camp in Yangsila, Morang district, with automatic rifles.