Bhutan’s ‘Nelson Mandela’ driven to Nepal refugee camp
Nov 15th, 2008 | By Sindh Today | Category: IndiaKathmandu, Nov 15 (IANS) A 45-year-old Bhutanese of Nepali origin, who was released from prison after 17 years by the Bhutan government this month, has been forced to take shelter in refugee camps in Nepal.
The expulsion of Dhan Kumar Rai, dubbed the Nelson Mandela of Bhutan by Nepal’s media for his long imprisonment, comes after the coronation of a new king and Bhutan’s well-publicised plans of reform and modernisation.
Rai, who arrived in Kathmandu for medical treatment Friday, is suffering from heart and mental problems.
One of the founding members of the exiled Bhutan People’s Party, he was earlier forced to leave Bhutan in 1989 when the Druk government began a crackdown on ethnic citizens, especially those of Nepali origin.
He fled to West Bengal in India where two years after his escape he was arrested by police from the Dooars area and handed over to Bhutan. The 28-year-old was accused of sedition, terrorism and attempt to murder and was sent to the central prison.
Rai says there were 74 more Nepali-speaking Bhutanese prisoners in the same prison block.
Rai and three other political prisoners of Nepali origin - Manbahadur Moktan, Ratna Thapa and Indrajit Pulami - were released Nov 1, five days before the coronation of Bhutan’s fifth king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, reportedly due to pressure by the International Red Cross Society and other international human rights organisations.
However, he could not view the three-day lavish coronation ceremony. Rai was given 48 hours to quit Bhutan.
On Nov 5, he arrived in Khudunabari in east Nepal where his brother and other family members have been living since fleeing Bhutan in the 1980s.
The freed activist says there are still about 100 political prisoners in the Chemgang Jail where he was held. He says he saw six prisoners die due to torture inside the prison.
Rai’s arrival in Nepal comes at a time when the previous government of Nepal, despairing of ever getting Bhutan to agree to take back the over 100,000 refugees languishing in Nepal, gave its nod to six Western countries to resettle the refugees.
Over 6,000 refugees have left the camps and are now trying to make a new life for themselves in the US, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In the coming days, more refugees are likely to be resettled abroad.
The exodus is being opposed by exiled Bhutanese political parties who feel if the camps are empty, Bhutan will be emboldened to evict still more ethnic citizens.
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He is freaking no Nelson Mandela. Don’t disgrace a great man by associating this criminal with his name. Look, he couldn’t wait to go to his motherland and brainwash people to again start up another trouble. I would be surprised if he organizes campaign to terrorize and loot his own people in the south to forcefully join the criminal gangs in Jhapa. If he really wanted to talk it out with the govt, there is a way but definitely not shouting and killing. Sorry we don’t accept that in Bhutan and thats not the way we do it out here. Of course we will send you to prison if you do that. He should have just stayed back home and started his democracy movement from Bhutan and not from Nepal. And please for the last time don’t call this criminal Nelson Mandela. Don’t taint the name of a great man who the whole world loves and look up to.
The injustice and inhumane dictatorial decision to expell Nepali origin Bhutanse by Royal Bhutanese government is absolutely against international law and globally accepted human rights standards.
prominent and leading role behind this conspiracy to expell the Nepali origin Bhutanese citizens is India,if India wants this problem could be solved at once because the Bhutanese king and his government have no
such courage to say no to India.After all India holding the de facto sovereignty of Bhutan by Darjeeling treaty.So,international community wants to support the justful voinces of Bhutanese refugees,it needs to put moral pressure to India to ask Bhutan to let the refugees return to their homeland.Taking the Refusees into different countries including USA is not justice and honourable to victims.