INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE DAY

International Refugee Day being observed in Nepal
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Speakers at a program organized here Tuesday to mark the International Refugee Day emphasized the need for all to cooperate in establishing an atmosphere where the Bhutanese refugees could return back home with respect and dignity.
Speaking at the program organized by Amnesty International Nepal Section, they said that talks should be held between Nepal and Bhutan while the government of India should make a special effort in guaranteeing the human and legal rights of the Bhutanese refugees residing in eastern Nepal.
Pointing out the need for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries to ratify the International Convention on Refugees, they also urged the government of Nepal to lead the way in this regard.
At the program, Attorney General Yagyamurti Banjade said Bhutanese citizens have been compelled to become refugees due to absence of democracy in Bhutan and called upon all concerned to internationalize the issue.
He also pointed out the need to exert pressure on the guerrillas to develop an atmosphere where the Internally Displaced People could return back home.
Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Nepal Sardhannand Panchoe said the UNHCR was working to resolve the problems related to the Bhutanese in Nepal and for the protection of their legal and human rights.
Panchoe also expressed the confidence that the refugees will be able to return back home with respect and dignity in the near future.
Some 105,000 refugees have been living in seven camps in eastern Nepal for the last 15 years. As many as 15 rounds of bilateral talks held between the two governments have failed to yield any results.
World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on June 20 in over 120 countries worldwide.
Source: Xinhua

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