6.
EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT’S RESOLUTION ON BHUTANESE REFUGEES
Human rights: Bhutanese refugees in
Nepal:
PE 293.778 September, 06, 2000,
The European Parliament,
A. having
regard to its resolution of 14 March 1996 on the plight of Nepali-speaking
refugees from Bhutan,
B.
having
regard to the visit to Nepal from 21 to 22 April 2000 by the
European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the
countries of South Asia and the SAARC, which
incorporated an on-the-spot assessment of the
continuing plight of the almost 98, 000 Bhutanese refugees who are
accommodated in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal,
C. recalling that both Bhutan and Nepal have given
assurances to the European Parliament that
bilateral negotiations would be speedily concluded
and that actual verification in the camps would begin by July 2000,
D. aware
that the growth in the population of Bhutanese refugees, which is a natural
process, means a demand for resources including additional huts and
associated facilities in already cramped camps and that, similarly, food and
non-food supply is another area in which demand continues to rise each year,
E. conscious
of the vital role played by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UNHCR,
who are assisting the refugees, and that the European Union and other donors
have provided funds for the two organisations, and welcoming the fact that
the EU has also been supporting the refugees and refugee-affected areas
through NGOs,
F. stressing
that, while the EU remains one of the major donors, both the UNHCR and the
WPF are finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds to run the camps
and that in recent months the WFP has been facing the real and very serious
possibility of a future food shortage, and expressing disquiet, furthermore,
that donors are more and more concerned at the lack of progress being made,
G. welcoming
the talks on the problem of the Bhutanese refugees held by the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs Sadako Ogata, with the Bhutanese and Nepalese
authorities during her visit to these countries at the end of April and
beginning of May 2000,
1. Reiterates
its call to the Governments of Bhutan and Nepal, in cooperation with all
other parties involved, to reach an agreement which will allow the early and
voluntary repatriation of these Bhutanese refugees to their country of
origin;
2. Regrets
the officially instituted and illegal occupation of the homes and lands of
those who have been driven out, as this complicates possible future
repatriation and makes a just settlement more difficult to achieve;
3. Welcomes
the latest round of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan in Thimphu in
May this year; also welcomes the fact that Nepal has accepted the UNHCR
compromise on the crucial definition of the "family" unit for verification
purposes and calls on the Bhutanese authorities to accept the UNHCR
compromise so that the commitment to field verification for the early and
time-bound repatriation of the refugees can begin immediately;
4. Welcomes
the Bhutanese authorities’ commitment, given to the UNHCR High Commissioner
for Refugees during her visit to Bhutan and Nepal, to resolve the refugee
issue and to display the flexibility necessary for an early solution to the
problem of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal;
5. Considers
that international donors should make sufficient funds available to permit
the running of the camps during the negotiation and verification process and
greatly appreciates the direct support for the camps which, so far, has cost
USD 92 million, and calls on the donors, furthermore, to insist that the
Bhutanese Government facilitate a rapid repatriation of the refugees;
6. Recognises
the tremendous goodwill of Nepal in accepting the refugees who are the
victims of arbitrary deprivation of nationality and forcible eviction and
who came to Nepal through India, which consistently refuses to help in
resolving the repatriation issue by pretending that it is a bilateral issue
of concern only to Bhutan and Nepal;
7. Considers
that the Indian authorities should take full account of the humanitarian
situation of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and should take political
initiatives in order to support the solution of the problem, while noting
that there are 25 000 Bhutanese refugees in India;
8. Calls
for and encourages all interests, including international donors, to
contribute to finding an early and permanent solution bearing in mind that
almost 98 000 people have been denied their human rights for the last eight
years;
9. Welcomes
the release of Mr Tek Nath Rizal and 200 other prisoners
as a positive indication of Bhutanese goodwill but at the
same time regrets the lack of progress in other
areas;
10. Welcomes
the positive steps in defining the database and procedural
aspects for the verification process and points to the
important role that can be played by the UNHCR in
facilitating the practical implementation of the
process;
11. Notes
with satisfaction that the Prime Ministers of Bhutan and Nepal will meet
very soon in New York and will also meet Mrs Ogata, High Commissioner for
Refugees; hopes that these meetings will produce a final political
settlement of this long-standing question; if not, calls on the Council to
initiate meaningful discussions and consider financial support aimed at
encouraging all parties involved to take the necessary political initiatives
which will result in a final and durable solution at the
highest political level;
12. Instructs
its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the
governments of the Member States, the governments of Bhutan, Nepal and
India, the secretariat of the SAARC, the WFP and the UNHCR.
****************************
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S RESOLUTION ON
BHUTANESE REFUGEES
Resolution of European Parliament on
the Plight of Nepali-speaking refugees from Bhutan
13 (b) B4-0329, 03 44, 0402 and 0405/96
dated 14 March 1996
The European Parliament
A. deeply
concerned at the plight of some 86,000 mostly Nepali-speaking refugees
from Bhutan who are currently in refugee camps in eastern Nepal and of
15000 others dispersed in neighbouring areas of Nepal and India,
B. B.
aware that Bhutan’s policy of
‘national integration’ on the basis of Western Bhutanese (Drukpa) traditions
and culture, led to a campaign, began in 1990, of suppression of Nepali
cultural expression in Bhutan, revocation of citizenship and intimidation,
arrests and sometimes torture of ethnic Nepalese, resulting in a large-scale
exodus to Nepal of these people,
C. disturbed
that, according to a recent report of the South Asia Human Rights
Documentation Centre, the conditions in the refugee camps have
deteriorated, especially with regard to
medical care and education, and that certain of the aid agencies,
including the UNHCR are now scaling down or withdrawing their
assistance to these camps,
D. whereas
several Bhutanese refugee groups organised peaceful demonstrations to
protest against this unacceptable situation and undertook a march from
Nepal to Bhutan across Indian territory,
E. E.
whereas, according to a report by
Amnesty International, several demonstrators were arrested by the Indian
authorities in mid-January and released after judicial verifications, but
whereas several of them are soon to be brought before the Siliguri court,
F. noting that
the movement to bring about democratic reforms in Bhutan has been
largely based in southern Bhutan,
1. Calls on the Governments of Bhutan and
Nepal, in cooperation with all other
parties involved, to reach an agreement which will allow
the early, voluntary
repatriation of these Bhutanese refugees to their country
of origin;
2. Considers
that the Indian authorities must take full account of the humanitarian
situation of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and acquit all persons arrested
during the peaceful
protest demonstrations;
3. Calls
on the Government of Bhutan to make practical preparations for the UNHCR-supervised
return of these refugees, and to safeguard the rights of minorities on its
territory,
4. Calls on the Commission, the
Council and the Governments of the Member States to provide assistance to
the refugees in eastern Nepal (some of whom have been denied official
refugee status), both via the Government of Nepal and via the aid agencies
operating in the field;
5. Calls on the Commission, the
Council and the Governments of the Member States, in liaison with the
UNHCR, to discuss with the Government of Bhutan proposals for the provision
of assistance for the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of these
refugees in their former homes in Bhutan;
6. Notes that, in this connection,
most of these refugees would appear to qualify under international law as
being genuine citizens of Bhutan and considers that Bhutan’s Citizenship Act
of 1985 may need to be modified as a result;
7. Instructs its President to
forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of
the member States, the Governments of Bhutan, Nepal and India and the
Secretariat of SAARC. |