initiative
over return of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal, Strasbourg,
11/09/2000
The European Parliament, in
denouncing the deplorable situation of the roughly 98,000
Nepalese speaking refugees from Bhutan which are located in
seven camps in Eastern Nepal, adopted a resolution by several
political groups and members of the Bonino list inviting the
governments of Bhutan and Nepal to reach an agreement that
would allow these refugees to rapidly and voluntarily return
to their homes.
The European Parliament welcomed
the prospect of a meeting between the Prime Ministers of the
two countries in New York, where they also met Mrs Ogata, UN
High Commissioner for Refugees, and underlined the
"extreme good will" of Nepal, which hosts these
refugees, who have "in a manner been deprived of their
human rights for the last eight years".
Commissioner Poul Nielson said
that he spoke with representatives of the governments of
Bhutan and Nepal, who seemed to him to be serious in their
desire to finally find a solution. The European Union , has
already granted aid of EUR 11 million to refugees and intends
to grant them an additional EUR 1.5 million, in the near
future.
The
resolution on Bhutanese refugees in Nepal had been tabled in
the European Parliament as a "common motion for a
resolution" by the following European Parliament Groups:
"Common motion for a
resolution"
by on behalf of the PPE/DE Group
by on behalf of the PSE Group
by on behalf of the ELDR Group
by on behalf of the GREEN/ALE
Group
by on behalf of the GUE/NGL
Group
by on behalf of the UEN Group
by on behalf of the EDD Group
by on behalf of the TDI Group
On Bhutanese refugees in
Nepal"
The final text of the resolution
is as follows:
Human rights: Bhutanese
refugees in Nepal:
PE 293.778
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
RESOLUTION ON BHUTANESE REFUGEES IN NEPAL
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.