Indian government appealed for repatriation

The Bhutanese Elderly Refugees Representative Committee (BERRC) has appealed the government of India to help for their repatriation to Bhutan.

According to Santa Bir Ghaley, spokesperson for the committee, a total of 125 elderly members of the refugee community signed the petition and sent to the government of India through electronic mail on Sunday.

All signatories are from Beldangi Refugee camp in Jhapa district. The appeal is addressed to Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The appeal was sent in the light to Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s India visit scheduled for this week. Tobgay is visiting India in his first foreign tour since taking over power in Bhutan with focus to seek financial assistance.

The committee said, the bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan yield nothing and thus its the time India must look into the matter to find a amicable solution.

Of the 110,000 exiled Bhutanese, over 80,000 have been resettled to western countries, majority of them in United States.