BIPF representatives meet Nepalese Minister Pandey

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey has said he will raise the issue of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal with Bhutanese government ministers during the sidelines talks of Afro-Asian summit in Indonesia.

Assuring the delegation of the Bhutan Independent People’s Forum (BIPF) at his residence on Saturday, Pandey said he will talk with the Bhutanese leaders for repatriation of those willing to go back home.

Pandey also assured registration of Bhutanese as refugees who have not been able to get registration due to several reasons in the past.

The delegation, led by Tom Adhikari, advised Pandey that resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees is not a justifiable solution of the crisis. He was informed about the increasing rates of suicide cases in the US among resettled Bhutanese as a result of injustice against them.

The recently established BIPF has been reinvigorating the voice of repatriation that has gone diminished as resettlement nears 100,000. The forum has been seeking support from Nepalese government to resume talks with the government talks to ensure repatriation of those willing to go back.