PM BHATTARAI ASKED TO RAISE BHUTANESE REFUGEE ISSUE AT SAARC SUMMIT

BHUTAN PEOPLE’S PARTY ASKS PM BHATTARAI TO RAISE BHUTANESE REFUGEE ISSUE AT SAARC SUSMMIT

Kathmandu, 7 Nov.: On the eve of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattara’s departure for Maldives to attend the 17th SAARC summit, Bhutan People’s Party through a statement issued Monday asked the Nepalese government chief to raise the Bhutanese issue at the South Asian summit.
The party, in a statement, asked for India’s involvement in bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan to resolve the refugee issue as remaining displaced persons languish in camps in east Nepal managed by UNHCR.
More than 55,000 refugees of Nepali origin have been resettled in eight western countries, most of them IN USA.
The party noted Bhattarai didn’t raise the refugee issue during his just concluded visit to India to resolve the refugee issue, as expected by the party.
More than 100,000 were living in the camps.
The statement was issued by Chairman Balaram Paudel living in exile in Nepal.
‘The issue cannot be resolved without India’s involvement,” Paudel said and added resolution isn’t third county settlement but an honourable return home.
The party is ‘in a struggle for complete democracy’, the party said.
‘The refugee issue is not Nepal’s alone but of the SAARC member nations as well,” the statement said.
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