Tuesday, May 29, 2007

India Is Wrong On Bhutan


One refugee killed as Indian police open fire; Home Ministry urges restraint NepalNews Indian police opened fire to prevent them from crossing Mechi bridge ...... at least 100 Bhutanese refugees were injured when Indian police used force to prevent them from crossing the Mechi Bridge on the Nepal-Indian border on the second day of their 'Long March' to Bhutan.
Indian police impede refugees' "Long March" The refugees staged sit-in at the bridge after they were stopped by Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) of India. India deployed a huge contingent of SSB to prevent refugees from crossing into India.

2007: The Year Of The Revolution In Bhutan
Bravo Moriarty
Moriarty Should Take His Offer Directly To The Bhutani Refugees
Tek Nath Rizal And The Bhutani Hostage Crisis
Solve The Bhutani Refugee Crisis: Send Them West

People from Nepal do not need paperwork to go into India. I would think the same is true for Bhutan. People from Bhutan can come into India, and from there they can go into Nepal.

I think the democracy activists in the Bhutani refugee camps have to get smart and not rely solely on being confrontational.

Democrats in West Bengal and Bihar should come to the rescue. Forget the Mechi bridge. Get out of Nepal any way you can, go into India, from there go over to Bhutan. It makes no sense to think of the Mechi bridge as the only way out of Nepal.

But the whole deal has to be thought through. Much logistics come into play.

What is the idea? You get 100,000 plus Bhutanis out of the refugee camps in Nepal into India. From there you get them into Bhutan. In Bhutan they engineer a replay of Nepal's April Revolution and shut the country completely down unless an all party government is formed to hold constituent assembly elections in Bhutan. The gameplan has to be something like that. The Nepalis already inside Bhutan have to be organized for the purpose.

It would make no sense to not think this thing through completely. Think all steps. Otherwise you just end up getting stuck at the Mechi bridge. Or you end up with tens of thousands of Bhutanis stranded in India. Or you end up with a demoralized population inside Bhutan.

En route to Bhutan, people are going to have to eat. Funds have to be raised to that effect. Indian democracy activists and human rights organizations must come to the rescue.

Shame on the government of India.

India's mishandling Bhutan is the reason why there is so much unrest in India's northeast. Delhi disrespects the sentiments in the northeast. Its fundamentally undemocratic attitude towards Bhutan shows why India is not a global power like it deserves to be. Delhi showers unconditional love on a dictator king because he agrees to be a semi-colony of India. That is not forward thinking.

Indian politicians like Chandrashekhar and VP Singh have to come out for Bhutan like they came out for Nepal.

Major Indian Support For Democracy In Nepal (February 28, 2005)

How the Indian establishment acts towards the democracy movement in Bhutan will tell us if or not India will become a global superpower any time soon. It is India more than America that is better positioned to spread democracy across the Arab world. Exporting democracy has to become a major pillar of India's foreign policy.

Al Qaeda Strikes India, Wants Hindu-Muslim Riots

Democracy comes from inside the human heart. It does not come from America. The Buddhist republics thousands of years ago were the earliest democracies ever on the planet. Buddhism and monarchy do not go together.

The ethnic Nepali Bhutani democracy activists and leaders have to be resigned to the fact that the future president of Bhutan will likely not be one of them. They are 10-20% of the population. Democracy has to be more than a tool for ethnic rights for the ethnic Nepalis. Democracy has to be presented as the need for all Bhutanis.

After Bhutan, Burma is next.

In The News

Bhutan again votes for tradition as mock poll ends
Reuters India, India
Bhutan holds second mock elections in presence of Indian observers DailyIndia.com
As Bhutan holds trial-run election, refugees demand to return home Globe and Mail The mock election, which began a month ago with four dummy parties running on imaginary manifestos, boiled down to a straight fight between the Druk (Thunder Dragon) Yellow Party and the Druk Red Party. ...... The Yellow Party stands for the preservation of tradition and values while the Red Party advocates industrial development. ..... The gate at the Indian end of the bridge was closed as troops sealed the border and stepped up security. ..... 17 years after being expelled for protesting against discrimination and in favour of democracy. ..... Thinley Penjore, leader of the exiled Druk National Congress, a party of refugees ...... In Bhutan, the ethnic Nepalese who stayed face widespread discrimination and have to obtain security clearances for jobs and places in schools for their children ...... Thousands have been barred from voting ...... a threat of bomb attacks by the Bhutan Tiger Force, the militant wing of the Bhutan Communist Party, a Maoist rebel group born in the camps in Nepal in 2003. ........ "The elections are anything but fair, and Bhutan will see more trouble as the refugees attempt a comeback seriously," said Laxman Rai of the Human Rights Organization of Bhutan.
HAD IT NOT BEEN INDIA, THE REFUGEES WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED IN NEPAL Telegraphnepal.com, Nepal
Curfew in Bhutan refugee camp as tension escalates NewKerala.com
UCAN: Bhutan’s only Buddhist convert yearns to bring Catholicism ...
Catholic Online, CA
Shakira rocks Bhutan, as Shangri-la embraces modernity
NewKerala.com, India
Shakira rocks Bhutan, as Shangri-la embraces modernity Malaysia Sun
Shakira Rocks Bhutan, As Shangri-la Embraces Modernity NEWSPost India
Bhutan's royal astrologers plan for 2008 elections
NewKerala.com, India
Bhutan : Situation Of Ethnic Nepalis
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Bhutan votes in election dummy run
Aljazeera.com, UK
Productivity slump benefits neighbours
Calcutta Telegraph, India
Northeast at a glance Calcutta Telegraph
Hard currency limit raised to US $ 3000
Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper, Bhutan
US unveils plan for migration of Bhutan refugees
Gulf Times, Qatar

We've respected Koirala for his international image, says Dr. Bhattarai NepalNews "during daytime Baluwatar is surrounded by pro-palace elements and ambassadors" and, therefore, he said, "all decisions have to be taken at night when they are asleep."
NC constitutes task force, congress unification process starts Divided from the past five years, the unification process started after NC constituted a three-member task force to search the prospect of party unity with NC-D.
NT to launch 3G mobile services
NTA recommends full mobility to CDMA phones
Second stage verification to begin from mid-June
Another refugee dies in police firing; curfew in Beldangi; UNHCR urges restraint

YouTube

Tenzin Tsundue in NYC, March 10, 2007 Part I
Tenzin Tsundue in NYC, March 10, 2007 Part II
Tenzin Tsundue in NYC, March 10, 2007 Part III

Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 1
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 2
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 3
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 4
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 5
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 6
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 7
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 8
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 9
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 10
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 11
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 12
Tenzin Tsundue Talk 03.20.2007 Part 13









Bhutan / เรื่องจริงผ่านจอ 1
Bhutan / เรื่องจริงผ่านจอ 2
Bhutan / เรื่องจริงผ่านจอ 3

Monday, May 28, 2007

2007: The Year Of The Revolution In Bhutan


Refugees plan 'Long March' to their homeland Bhutanese refugees are planning to go on a "Long March" from Monday. ..... On the first day, 15,000 refugees – out of 106,000 – of all the seven camps will be heading towards Bhutan by crossing the Mechi bridge into India . ..... at the call of National Front for Democracy (NFD-Bhutan) ..... The local eight party leaders have decided to help the refugees by accompanying them up to the mid-point of the bridge – which separates Nepal and India. Likewise, representatives of Indian MPs and civil society will receive them at that point. The refugees plan to enter Phuntsoling town of Bhutan by walking across Jayagaon of India. ....... Balram Poudel, vice president of NFD, they are planning to make the agitation decisive ...... Indian security forces are learnt to have stepped up security in the border area and has deployed security personnel on high alert
Bravo Moriarty
Moriarty Should Take His Offer Directly To The Bhutani Refugees
Tek Nath Rizal And The Bhutani Hostage Crisis
Solve The Bhutani Refugee Crisis: Send Them West

It is high time all democratic political parties in South Asia expressed solidarity to the democracy movement in Bhutan. Looks like the Bhutani refugees are finally getting to take the lead. The solution will not come out of government level talks between Nepal and Bhutan. The regime in Bhutan is fundamentally opposed to justice and democracy. A regime that engaged in ethnic cleansing is not a regime that can be trusted.

I don't think the Indian security forces have the option to stop the refugees. The refugees, on their part, have to be ready for the eventuality, and should cross the border in human wave after human wave.

Local Indian democrats must chip in and help to the fullest.

2007 should become the year when Bhutan becomes a democratic republic. Jingme has to be ousted.

Nepal received Indian help for its democracy. Now is payback time. We have to help the Bhutanis in all ways possible. All moral and logistical help has to be provided.

This movement has to be fought the smart way. Base stations have to be established in all Indian towns by the Bhutani border. Logistical help goes a long way.

2006: Nepal
2007: Bhutan

On to a democratic republic in Bhutan.


In The News

Eight-party meet inconclusive NepalNews on the CA polls date and the issue of republic ..... the Nepali Congress, NC (Democratic) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) failed to put clear views on those issues. ....... the election date, electoral system and the deadlock in the interim parliament ..... differences grew on the UML’s proposal for proportional voting system. ...... separate meetings of the central working committees of the NC and the NC (D) today decided to go for mixed electoral system
UML for proportional voting system; NC, NC (D) stick to mixed system mixed voting system is the best system for representing the interests of different sections. ..... The NC also suggested the Nepali month of Mangsir (November-December) as the best time for CA polls.
Maoists, NC-D cadres clash leaves 13 injured, 2 critical At least 13 persons were injured, 2 seriously when Maoists and Nepali Congress (Democratic) activists engaged in a scuffle in Simikot, the headquarters of Humla district, Sunday following an argument in an all party meeting participated by representatives of the Maoist party and civil society, among others. ..... Maoists resorted to violence and pelted stones at the venue while the talks was in progress
MJF's report gives party clean chit in Gaur incident the March 21 Gaur incident has pointed out that the Maoist aligned Madhesi National Liberation Front (MNLF) and local administration were to blame for the carnage that took place, giving the MJF a clean sheet .... denies there were any incident of rape and that the weapons used during the incident had ‘no sharp edges’ ..... chaired by former Supreme Court judge Baliram Kunwar Singh and comprised of two other members -- Surendra Mishra and Lal Babu Yadav. ....... “An MJF programme was in full swing when cadres of the MNLF detonated bombs, explosives, and fired shots creating havoc among the programme participants. It was difficult to point out who killed whom in such a stampede,” the reports said and added “as the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (Jwala Singh) and the Terai Cobra have already claimed responsibility for the incident, it is clear that the MJF is not guilty.”
Maoists storm RPP gathering in Parbat suddenly 50 -60 YCL cadres barged into the hotel room and started thrashing us

MJF ready to negotiate if charges are dropped against its cadres NepalNews Welcoming the decision of the cabinet to form a judicial commission to probe alleged atrocities committed during Madhes agitation, president of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Yadav has said that he is ready to negotiate with the government if charges against MJF workers and leaders are dropped and their security guaranteed. ...... He made these remarks at Jaleshwore of Mahottari district on Saturday. ..... Yadav also accused the government of floating Chure Bhawar Ekata Samaj – which has demanded separate Chure Bhawar region within Madhes – to counter it.
Police nab three Maoist activists
YCL washes off its hand from stoning incident
Cabinet forms commission to investigate terai unrest
Interaction on the Fuel Supply