NFD delegates meet EU Parliament members

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Press Release The Hague Dated 29 June 2007

A six member delegation representing National Front for Democracy in Bhutan (NFD) held very fruitful meetings with Mr. Robert Evans, Member of the European Parliament for London cum Chairman of the European Parliament's South Asia Delegation and Mr. Jean Christian REMOND, European Commission's Unit Head for India, Nepal and Bhutan at their respective offices in Brussels separately on Thursday the 28th of June 2007.
The delegates appraised the European Union dignitaries about the recent development in the Bhutanese refugee camps and their movement aftermath long march to Bhutan organized by NFD. The issues like that of third country settlements and the grave division brought by it in the refugee community, the highly controversial statement of Indian Foreign minister that "Bhutanese refugee's return to their country will bring demographical imbalance in Bhutan" and its changed stand towards the Bhutanese refugee issue, deprivation of political rights in the just concluded mock elections to around 80,000 Bhutanese citizens inside Bhutan and their likely eviction in near future, the recent chain of mass arrest in southern Bhutan just on the doubt of being member of Bhutan Communist party and their inhuman torture in Samchi jail by denying their near and dear ones to meet, grave conspiracy inside Bhutan to exclude lhosampa communities from participation in the 2008 parliamentary election by King's brother in- law Sangye Nidup and other important issues of immediate concerns were discussed in details during the meetings.The delegates after thanking European Union for their continued support for the Bhutanese refugees, expressed their hope for more support also politically in their quest to establish Human Rights and Democracy in Bhutan. They also requested European Union to actively take up all the issues above, with Bhutan and India governments and press them to work towards repatriation of all the genuine Bhutanese who are ever willing to go back to their country with dignity and honour.They were also requested to press Bhutan government to recognize exile based Bhutanese political parties and to allow them to participate in the democratic process.We have not yet accepted third country settlement as the genuine solution of the 17 years old Bhutanese refugee crisis",said Robert Evans the Chairman of the South Asia delegation at the European Parliament. He was very supportive towards the unconditional repatriation of Bhutanese refugees in Bhutan and their active participation in the forthcoming general election as an equal citizen. "EU will try to send its election monitoring team (if possible) in Bhutan's first general election in 2008, this will enable us to know the genuineness and fairness of the Bhutanese election", was his response towards Bhutan's democratisation process. European Union has no official position on the issue of third country settlement of the Bhutanese refugee" said Jean-Christian REMOND, Head of Unit India, Nepal and Bhutan at the European Commission. He further said that European Commission is supporting Bhutanese refugee purely on humanitarian basis and its prolongation has started developing fatigue in it. Thus the durable solution of the Bhutanese refugee crisis is an urgent need.
The delegates after thanking European Union for their continued support for the Bhutanese refugees, expressed their hope for more support also politically in their quest to establish Human Rights and Democracy in Bhutan. They also requested European Union to actively take up all the issues above, with Bhutan and India governments and press them to work towards repatriation of all the genuine Bhutanese who are ever willing to go back to their country with dignity and honour. They were also requested to press Bhutan government to recognize exile based Bhutanese political parties and to allow them to participate in the democratic process.
"We have not yet accepted third country settlement as the genuine solution of the 17 years old Bhutanese refugee crisis", said Robert Evans the Chairman of the South Asia delegation at the European Parliament. He was very supportive towards the unconditional repatriation of Bhutanese refugees in Bhutan and their active participation in the forthcoming general election as an equal citizen. "EU will try to send its election monitoring team (if possible) in Bhutan's first general election in 2008, this will enable us to know the genuineness and fairness of the Bhutanese election", was his response towards Bhutan's democratisation process.
"European Union has no official position on the issue of third country settlement of the Bhutanese refugee" said Jean-Christian REMOND, Head of Unit India, Nepal and Bhutan at the European Commission. He further said that European Commission is supporting Bhutanese refugee purely on humanitarian basis and its prolongation has started developing fatigue in it. Thus the durable solution of the Bhutanese refugee crisis is an urgent need. He also said that it is doing all possible means to involve India in the just resolution of Bhutanese refugee crisis. "Bhutan has already given its word to the UNHCR chief during his visit there that it wont evict any more people in future", was his response when the delegates raised the issue of 80,000 Bhutanese who were excluded from the recently held mock elections.The six member NFD delegation which was headed by its executive member and general secretary of Bhutan Peoples Party Mr. Durga Giri submitted memorandums to the concerned people both at EU and EP. The delegation included Mr. Ram Bahadur Karki Chhetri, central member of Bhutan Peoples Party, Mr. Nandi Kishore Neopaney, President of Federation of Bhutanese Trade Union, Mr. Tej Man Monger, central member of Youth Organization of Bhutan, Mr. Bhakta Man Subba, Member of Youth organization of Bhutan and Mrs. Jamuna Karki Chhetri, member of Women Organization of Bhutan. doing all possible means to involve India in the just resolution of Bhutanese refugee crisis. "Bhutan has already given its word to the UNHCR chief during his visit there that it wont evict any more people in future", was his response when the delegates raised the issue of 80,000 Bhutanese who were excluded from the recently held mock elections.
The six member NFD delegation which was headed by its executive member and general secretary of Bhutan Peoples Party Mr. Durga Giri submitted memorandums to the concerned people both at EU and EP. The delegation included Mr. Ram Bahadur Karki Chhetri, central member of Bhutan Peoples Party, Mr. Nandi Kishore Neopaney, President of Federation of Bhutanese Trade Union, Mr. Tej Man Monger, central member of Youth Organization of Bhutan, Mr. Bhakta Man Subba, Member of Youth organization of Bhutan and Mrs. Jamuna Karki Chhetri, member of Women Organization of Bhutan.

Sincerely yours,

Ram Bahadur Karki Chhetri
NFD Delegation member
Pijnacker Hordijkstraat 44
2593 HE Den Haag
The Netherlands
Tel 0031-70-3355652
E-mail karkiram90@hotmail.com