[Asia-HR-Alert] South Asian People'

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Subject: Re: [Asia-HR-Alert] South Asian People's Conference on Bhutan

Re George Fernandez: Burma Freedom Fighter supports Bhutanese exiles

We pass this on to those interested. If not, just delete now. metta,ds


driasosiandrigoing wrote:
> 
> SOUTH ASIAN PEOPLE'S CONFERENCE ON BHUTAN
> JULY 29-31, 1997, NEW DELHI, INDIA
> 
> 31 July, 1997
> 
> PRESS  RELEASE
> 
> The South Asian People's Conference ended today with a decision to
> maintain overnight vigil in front of Tihar Jail with the
> participation of parliamentarians, human right activists, legal
> authorities and others on the night of 14th August, 1997 in protest
> of Government's efforts to extradite Mr. Rongthong Kuenley Dorji,
> Chairman, UFD, Bhutan. One hundred participants representing
> different political parties, NGOs, people's Organizations, Jurists
> from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hon Kong, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka took
> part in deliberations in this conference jointly organized by Bhutan
> Solidarity India and Group for International Solidarity (GRINSO),
> Nepal.
> 
> An elaborate plan of action was chalked out and several important
> decisions were taken in the Conference. Some of them are:
> Constituting Bhutan Solidarity Groups in other countries of South
> Asia like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka; formation of South Asian
> Parliamentarians' Committee for Bhutanese refugees under the
> Convenorship of Mr. George Fernandes, M.P., India; spreading
> awareness on Bhutan's issue in different cities of India and South
> Asia by organizing mass rallies, signature campaigns, letter
> writing; taking recourse of legal action for striking down the Fresh
> Indo-Bhutan Extradition Agreement of December 28, 1996; and
> formation of South Asian People's Solidarity Committees throughout
> South Asian countries.
> 
> The participants expressed their deep concern and anguish over the
> manner in which Government of India has arrested Mr. Dorji at the
> Bhutan Government's demand for extradition, bypassing its own
> constitutional provisions as well bindings stipulated in
> International tools. The house demanded immediate release of Mr. Tek
> Nath Rizal, in Bhutanese prison for the last eight years.
> 
> To continue the spirit of the South Asian People's Conference and
> human rights fighter Prakash Kaphley; house has unanimously decided
> to form South Asian People's Solidarity Committees comprising of Dr.
> Mathura Prasad Shrestha from Nepal as Convenor. Other members are
> Ms. Nimalka Fernando (Sri Lanka), Ms. Rosalina Costa (Bangladesh),
> Mr. Khadiya Gauhar (Pakistan) and Mr. Anand Swaroop Verma (India).
> 
> SOUTH ASIAN PEOPLE'S CONFERENCE ON BHUTAN
> JULY 29-31, 1997, NEW DELHI, INDIA
> 
> Statement of Concern
> 
> 1.      Preamble
> 
> One hundred participants representing different political parties,
> non-governmental and peoples' organizations, human right
> organizations and jurists, and prominent personalities from
> Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hon Kong, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, gathered
> in New Delhi in South Asian  Peoples' Conference on Bhutan. Various
> aspects of long-standing problems of Bhutan wee discussed like
> repatriation of 1, 25, 000 Bhutanese refugees scattered in Nepal and
> India, democratization of Bhutan and involvement of India to solve
> problems Bhutan is riddled with. In order to resolve these, a plan
> of action was chalked out. The conference was jointly organized by
> Bhutan Solidarity (India) and Group for International Solidarity
> (GRINSO) Nepal.
> 
> The participants took serious note of the abduction of Mr. Tek Nath
> Rizal, a prominent leader of Bhutanese people from Nepal in 1989 who
> was later tortured and imprisoned in Bhutan till today. A matter of
> immediate concern was Mr. Rongthong Kunley Dorji, chairperson,
> United Front For Democracy in Bhutan, who was arrested in New Delhi
> on April 18, 1997. The participants unanimously and unequivocally
> condemned Royal Government of Bhutan for his attempted abduction and
> illegal demand of his extradtion. The participants expressed shock
> and anguish in the manner in which government of India has entered
> into a fresh extradition arrangement / agreement specifically to
> extradite Mr. Dorji to Bhutan where his life will hang in balance.
> It amply demonstrates how the government of India compromised its
> own democratic values and Indian constitution and violated
> international instruments of basic human rights to collaborate with
> illegal design of The Royal Government of Bhutan.
> 
> 2. Common Concern
> 
> The participants noted with concern:
> 
> 2.1 Continued erosion of democracy in the region which is posing a
> serious danger to the fabrics of the societies in South Asia, and
> increasing disregard for human rights by the governments in the
> region.
> 
> 2.2 The Royal Government of Bhutan's policy of ethnic cleansing and
> discrimination on the basis of ethnicity. Some examples of such
> practices are:
> 
> a) all relatives of the so called "anti-nationals" or dissidents are
> likely to be retired from their services;
> 
> b) resettlement of the people from other parts of Bhutan in the land
> left behind by the evictees in the South;
> 
> c) attempt to pass a law to ban the return of Bhutanese citizens who
> were forced out earlier.
> 
> 2.3 Plight of Bhutanese people, in particular of refugees and
> displaced persons for the last eight years.
> 
> 2.4 Continued non-cooperative approach of the Royal Government of
> Bhutan to solve the problems of refugees.
> 
> 2.5 Continued hunting, repression and torture of Bhutanese
> dissidents in and outside the country.
> 
> 2.6 Lack of progress in the Nepal-Bhutan bilateral talks on the
> refugee issue.
> 
> 2.7 Government of India's reluctance to engage in legitimate
> diplomatic effort to bring about peaceful, honorable and amicable
> solutions to above issues.
> 
> 3. Issues and Plan of Action
> 
> 3.1 Issues
> 
> The participants felt the following issues to be of utmost
> importance calling for urgent action:
> 
> a) Immediate release of  Mr. Rongthong Kuenley Dorji by the
> Government of India and stop all extradition proceedings against
> him.
> 
> b) Immediate release of Mr. Tek Nath Rizal and other political
> prisoners by the Royal Government of Bhutan.
> 
> c) Immediate repatriation of Bhutanese refugees to Bhutan with
> honour, dignity and return of their property.
> 
> d) Immediate initiation of dialogue between the Bhutanese King, the
> Royal Government of Bhutan and United Front for Democracy led by Mr.
> Rongthong Kuenley Dorji.
> 
> 3.2 Plan of Action
> 
> The participants agreed to engage themselves to the following plan
> of action in order to mobilize public opinion and support and to
> exert political pressures on concerned governments to address the
> above issues.
> 
> a) To develop active Bhutan Solidarity Group in remaining South
> Asian countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. b) To
> develop South Asian People's Solidarity Committee in different SAARC
> countries to address the issues of human rights, democracy,
> development, poverty elimination, equity, social justice and peace
> in the region including Bhutan issues stated above. A Committee of
> this sort has already been formed in Nepal under the leadership of
> Dr. Mathura Prasad Shreshta. It is resolved to entrust the formation
> of such Committee within six months in Sri Lanka to Nimalka
> Fernando, in Bangladesh to Rosaline Costa, in Pakistan to Khadiya
> Gauhar and in India to Anand Swaroop Verma. Dr. Mathura Prasad
> Shrestha will coordinate the overall activities. GRINSO-Nepal will
> work s its Secretariat.  c) To form South Asian Parliamentarians'
> Committee for Bhutanese Refugees under the convenorship of Mr.
> George Fernandese. Other members include Mr. R. B. Rai (India), Mr.
> C.P. Mainali (Nepal) and Mr. Vasudeva Nanyakkara (Sri Lanka). d) To
> involve all political parties, parliamentarians, intellectuals,
> social workers, media and other social strata of people by way of
> advocacy and mass campaign. Following immediate action-plan was
> agreed unanimously.
> 
> 1) To rally and maintain overnight vigil in front of Tihar Jail with
> the participation of parliamentarians, human rights activists, legal
> authorities, eminent personalities and people on the night of 14th
> August as the Indian Parliament meets to begin the celebration of
> 50th Anniversary of Indian independence to release the Bhutanese
> leader Rongthong Kuneley Dorji. 2) To hold periodic mass rallies in
> different cities in India and other South Asian countries. 3) To
> march in near future from Indian Soil with the participation of
> eminent personalities, political figures, representatives from
> Bhutanese refugees and other people from South Asia of Bhutan to
> demonstrate solidarity with the Bhutanese refugees and to urge the
> Royal Government of Bhutan to urgently address and solve above
> stated issues. 4) To proceed with signature campaign and other forms
> of action by the parliamentarians, politicians, human rights
> activists and others in India. 5) To initiate letter writing
> campaigns and similar solidarity activities in other South Asian
> countries. 6) To vigorously pursue, before the courts of India,
> actions to release Mr. Rongthong Kuenley Dorji, to strike out the
> agreement entered into by the Indian and Bhutanese governments on 28
> December, 1996 and to declare the extradition proceedings null and
> void. 7) To have on going co-ordination and follow ups by the
> organisers of this conference, the South Asian People's Solidarity
> Committees and Bhutan Solidarity Groups of South Asian countries.