On June 2, 2004, the Royal Nepal Army raided a Bhutanese refugee camp known as Beldangi-I in search of suspected Maoists. One person was arrested after a country made pistol was discovered from his hut. On June 3 another refugee was arrested and taken away for interrogation by the army. On June 4 five more refugees were arrested. The army in the beginning produced a list of 15 suspected Maoist sympathisers. Of these five were outside the camps. They are now afraid to return for fear of arrest. The Refugee Co-ordination Unit of His Majesty's Government of Nepal has suspended the supply of food rations to these five refugees. It is learnt that soon all the seven refugee camps will be searched for missing persons and arms as the army suspects that the Maoists have infiltrated these camps and the refugees are co-operating with the Maoists. It is learnt that refugees who are outside the camps are being suspected of involvement with the Nepalese Maoists. The army's list of suspects has now grown to 170.

As there are no job and business opportunities in the camps, over the years, many refugees have been forced to go outside in search of work. Those seeking higher education also had to go out and get admission in colleges in Damak, Biratnagar or Kathmandu. However, most of the refugees engaged in work and business outside the camps always return to the refugee camps, which are their permanent "home" in Nepal. They have family members living inside the camps. The Refugee Co-ordination Unit is planning to cancel the supply of food rations as well as the registration of those who are not present inside the camps all the time. The refugees are afraid of losing whatever little additional income they are able to generate by working outside these camps to support their families. They are also worried that they will be held virtual prisoners inside the seven refugee camps. This will create a serious problem of survival for the refugees particularly as the UNHCR is in the process of phasing out relief operations. While the Royal Nepal Army and the police are suspicious, there are no concrete evidence that the refugees have become involved with Maoist insurgency. Also if the refugees are forcefully held inside the seven camps indefinitely, it will create several other problems giving rise to discontent that will have the opposite effect of the desired objective. The human rights community of Nepal and other international organisation should intervene immediately to resolve this potential crisis.

The Search, arrests and interrogation in Beldangi -I:
The Royal Nepal Army as a part of its counter insurgency operations in Tarai (southern plains of Nepal) set up an outpost inside Beldangi forest. This outpost is located very near a large encampment of Bhutanese refugees also known as the Beldangi-I Refugee Camp. The refugee camp is located in a forest area. There were reports that the armed cadre of the Communist Party of Nepal Maoists known as the People's Liberation Army were hiding in these forests. The Royal Nepal Army and other intelligence sources for some time has been worried about Maoist influence on the Bhutanese refugees. There were rumors that the Nepalese Maoists have already established organisational links with a section of the Bhutanese refugees living in the refugee camps in Jhapa district of eastern Nepal. However no concrete evidence of these alleged links between the Nepalese Maoists and the Bhutanese refugees living in the camps has been made public by official agency till date.

SAFHR has learnt that on May 26, 2004 there was a clash between a group of refugees from Beldangi-I and some local Nepalese youth belonging to the Maobadi Pratikar Samuha (Civil Defence Force) near the refugee encampment. During this clash, some of the local youth had made some "blank fire" from their handguns to frighten the refugees. On May 27, the local youth complained to the officer in charge of the army outpost about being attacked by the refugees with firearms. The Camp Secretary of Beldangi-I was called by the army officer and asked to explain what happened. He explained to the army that it was not the refugees but the local youth who were armed and had made the blank-fires.

However, The army officertold the camp secretary that they information about the Maoists's plans to attack the army outpost from inside the refugee camp. The camp secretary was also told that the army was suspicious of links between the Buutanese refugees and the Maoists. He was warned that the Maoists could use the refugees as a "human shield" during the attack on the army outpost. In the interest of the security of the refugees, the camp Secretary was asked to facilitate search of the huts of the refugees by the army.

On June 2, 2004 members of the Royal Nepal Army from the Beldangi military outpost conducted a "search operation" in Beldangi-I refugee camp. During this "search" inside the hut of one Bhutanese refugee, Mr. Chandra Bahadur Parsai according to the army a country made pistol was discovered inside a box. Mr. Parasi was taken away to the army outpost. During interrogation Mr. Parsai reportedly disclosed that he had bought the pistol from another refugee, Mr. Deoraj Pradhan. He too was arrested on 3rd of June and removed to the army outpost for interrogation. Subsequently, under interrogation these two "disclose" the names of another 15 Bhutanese refugees who were "involved" with the Maoists. Armed with this information the army conducted more raids on Beldangi-I on June 3 and 4. Seven more refugees were arrested. The army was continuing their search for the rest of the suspects as they were not available in the camp during the search operations.

The seven arrested persons were first taken to the army outpost for interrogation. Later they were taken to civil police head quarters in Damak from were they were released. Ms. Parbati Kharka was released after two days of arrest. Among others, Mr. Gangaram Lamitarey, Mr. Dilliram Rizal, Mr. Phulmaya Dahal and Ms. Parbati Tiwari were released on 8th June. Mr. Chandra Bahadur Parsai was sent to the Chandragadi Jail. Mr Deoraj Pradhan is said to be still in the custody of the district police office in Chandragadi.

According to information the army has camp secretary of Beldangi - I a new list of suspected Maoist sympathisers. He has been asked to inform the army of their whereabouts. The list included the names of Mr.Bhakta Ghimirey and Mr. Hari Khannel both journalists, Mr. Aitiraj Baral , Mr. Sanman Gurung and Mr. Durga Neroula.

It is also learnt that the Refugee Co-ordination Unit's Deputy Supervisor of Beldangi-I had a meeting with the army in the outpost. The camp supervisor in response to the request of the army has started searching for the five suspected Maoist sympathisers. As these persons were absent the camp supervisor has cancelled their food ration. According to information the camp supervisor was planning to conduct such checks in the entire camp and suspend supply of daily food rations of all those who would be found absent at the time of the search. Apparently the army has declared all the refugee camp as a "sensitive" area and they have requested monitoring of movements of all the refugees.

The story of Mr. Gangaram Lamitarey, a Bhutanese journalist living in exile in Nepal:
Mr. Gangaram Lamitarey, a senior Bhutanese journalist and the President of the Nepali Bhasa Parisad (Nepali Language Council) was arrested on 3rd June by the army. He is also the editor and publisher of "Bhutan Jagaran", a weekly magazine, which is popular among the Bhutanese refugees living in the camps. He was accused of spreading Maoist ideology through his magazine and other activities. He was interrogated by the army first in Beldangi outpost and then by the police at Damak police station. He explained that the Nepali Bhasa Parishad was a literary society and its main aim was teaching Nepali language. As a trained and an experienced journalist on behalf of the Nepali Bhasa Parishad, he has been conducting regular classes in journalism for the refugee youth. He also told his interrogators that the Parishad also provides training to the refugees in the art of public speaking. As evidence his non-partisan position he produced samples of the newspaper that he published to show that it was not a propaganda organ of the Maoists. After about three days he was told that he would be released if the camp secretary agreed to stand guarantee for him. Mr. Lamitarey was released on the 8th of June after a member of the executive committee of the Women' Focal Point of Beldangi refugee camp stood guarantee for him.

While in custody of the army Mr. Lamitarey had an opportunity to talk to Deoraj Pradhan. According to him, Deoraj Pradhan admitted that he had sold a pistol to Mr. Chandra Bahadur Parsai for Rs. 2,800. He had purchased the pistol from some person in a nearby village. He admitted to Lamitarey that he sold the pistol to Chandraq Bahadur Parsai for profit. According to Deoraj Pradhan, Chandra Bahadur Parsai was not a Maoist rather a petty criminal. Deoraj felt that he had purchased the for use in his criminal enterprise.

However the Chandragadi and Damak police have no record of Chandra Bahadur Parsai's criminal activities. On the contrary, Deoraj Pardhan was known to be involved in criminal activities. He was arrested by the local police two years ago for his involvement in a robbery in Damak. Chandra Bahadur Parsai who has passed the School Leaving Certificate examination this year, is known to be a quite young man.

It should be noted that most of the services being provided to the refugees in the camps in eastern Nepal were being paid for by the UNHCR. The civilian officials of His Majesty's Government of Nepal who are stationed in the Refugee Co-ordination Unit in Chandragadi all get "special allowances" from the funds provided by the UNHCR. Until recently the seven refugee camps in Jhapa were protected by Nepal's civilian police. The police posts were dismantled in October 2003. Since the spread of Maoist insurgency in the eastern districts of Nepal, the security has been handed over to the Royal Nepal Army. The setting up of an army outpost close to the refugee encampment in Beldangi poses a threat to the refugees as the Maoists might attack the army outpost as they have been targeting the army in other parts of Nepal.