Increasing pressure to release Bhutanese political prisoners
The Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) held its first rally in the US demanding amnesty for Bhutanese political prisoners, on 17 December. In course of the last three years advocating for the release of these political prisoners, GCRPPB has seen an increasing number of local Bhutanese diaspora members joining the cause.
Over 40 activists stood at the front steps of the PA Capitol Complex calling for the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners in Bhutan.
For centuries, the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese people resided peacefully in Bhutan’s southern region, only to find themselves subject to unjust cultural alienation, exiled from the country, and imprisoned. Political prisoners in Bhutan were once peaceful members of the country. Their only crime was advocating for democracy and human rights for all Bhutanese citizens. Because of this, they were labelled anti-nationalists and shut behind bars without due process.
Since 2019, GCRPPB has been pleading for their amnesty. However, the Royal Government of Bhutan continued to violate its citizen’s human rights by refusing to grant them their freedom. As a result, family members of the political prisoners continue to suffer as the world forgets about them.
The Bhutanese community in the USA rallied in solidarity. The rally coordinated C M Niroula and Ashika Dhaurali, brought in local Bhutanese community leaders addressing the rally – Narad Adhikari, Tika Dhungana, Dr Narad Pokhrel, Samickshya Subedi, Man Ghaley. A personal plea was delivered by Pasang Tamang, brother of Chaturman Tamang, who is serving a life sentence in Bhutan.
The campaign also held a spoken memorial in honour of the Late Dr Bhampa Rai and the Late Kishor Rai, two prominent Bhutanese activists.
Prominent Bhutanese Community leader and a former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience and presently Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs-Pennsylvania, Biswanath Chhetri, Bhutanese intellectuals Madhav Sharma, former Bhutanese Parliamentarian K B Chuwan, and several others community leaders attended the rally.
GCRPPB has called on the young people to continue to work in the Bhutanese movement and get involved in the work to pressure the Royal Government of Bhutan and the King to immediately release all political prisoners, respecting their fundamental rights to peaceful opinion.
In Australia, a memorandum was submitted to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, urging for diplomatic support that ensure the early release of political prisoners from Bhutanese jails. Similar memorandums were submitted to the country’s foreign ministers in Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
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This is Kushal Tiwari who was known as Yam Tiwari before obtaining the citizenship of United State. When I was in Concord New Hampshire 03301. I changed my name from Yam Tiwari to Kushal Tiwari. I was from the Thewar Village, Danabari Block, Gelephu Sarpang District. I was in Beldangi 2,A/4,63, Damak Jhapa Nepal. I lost my Lt Nar Bahadur Tiwari due to the tortured of Bhutanese Armies and polices. We Tiwari family found the dead body of our father which was hanging on a branch of tree in our own Fields of Bhutan. 1991, at the month of June our father was killed by the Bhutanese forces and on 1992 at the month of July third week our eldest brother Bom Bahadur Tiwari was arrested by the Bhutanese Armies in between the Indo- Bhutan’s boarder Gelephu and Assam India Dhad Ghari .According to some former prisoners of Bhutan our brother Bom Bahadur Tiwari was there in Lodrai Jail to Chemgang jail. After taken in the Chemgang jail , after few months later our Brother had been disappeared unknowingly from the cell of jail of Chemgang. But we family are not getting any informations regarding our brother Bom Bahadur Tiwari, how he is? Where he is ? Still he is in jail or prison of Bhutan or Killed by Bhutanese Government? If they killed our brother they must give us informations to us. We need justices and judgements about our missing brother Bom Bahadur Tiwari and Our father Lt Nar Bahadur Tiwari. If there is human rights in Bhutan after the ruling the sixth king of Bhutan, and if there is law for human beings and freedom of democracy? And if the law doesn’t die ? We need justices to our missing brother Bom Bahadur Tiwari very soon or immediately.