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[home]>[programmes]>refugee
Campaign on
Bhutanese refugees
Focus on Unregistered Asylum Seekers
As part of its campaign to focus national and international attention on
the situation of unregistered Bhutanese asylum seekers in Nepal, SAFHR
undertook a Survey in 2002 (see website - link). The Survey's findings
have been successfully lobbied with the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and UNHCR in
Kathmandu to re-activate the Kakarvitta screening post so that
unregistered asylum seekers can apply for asylum status. In addition
SAFHR is lobbying for counseling, shelter and medical facilities for the
newly registered.
Lobbying Against Inconsistencies in Verification Process
SAFHR plans to use a case study on the Joint Verification Team (JVT)
report (forthcoming - website -link) to focus attention on the
inconsistencies in the verification process and lobby with the
governments of Bhutan and Nepal to address these inconsistencies in the
screening process. Also, the case study will be used to draw the
attention of the international community to the Bhutan government's
deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing of its own citizens of Nepalese
ethnicity. That the Bhutan government is not really interested in taking
the refugees back is amply demonstrated by the tactical delay and "on
again-off again" approach to the so called "verification" of the
refugees. The JVT report has made it clear to the Bhutanese refugees in
the camps that they have no possibility of returning "home" till there
is a change in the politics of the regime in Bhutan.
Opinion Poll of Bhutanese Refugees on Return
SAFHR will conduct an opinion poll in the refugee camps to ascertain the
attitude of the refugees toward the issue of "return" and the political
reforms necessary for building a peaceful, democratic and harmonious
polity in Bhutan. In addition, SAFHR will organise a Training Workshop
on Right to Return to raise awareness on the issue of return and the
conditions necessary for return, as well as to expose participants to
other South Asian experiences of repatriation. The training programme
will help foster capacities among Bhutanese refugee youths to more
effectively take forward their struggle for justice and political
reconciliation.
Campaign to Mobilize Indian Support for Bhutanese Refugees
In recognition of the importance of mobilizing public opinion in India
in support of the Bhutanese refugees issue if a sustainable resolution
is to be achieved, SAFHR will initiate a campaign of awareness beginning
with a workshop in Delhi in December 2003. Political leaders, media and
civil society groups will be invited to the workshop. A desk to focus
specifically on the issue of Bhutanese refugees is being set up in the
office of The Other Media, SAFHR's Delhi partner.
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