NEPAL: DAS CAMP AND INDIAN AMBASSADOR SARAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000864 SIPDIS STATE FOR SA/INS AND PRM/ANE LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY NSC FOR MILLARD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2014 TAGS: PREF PREL NP BT SUBJECT: NEPAL: DAS CAMP AND INDIAN AMBASSADOR SARAN DISCUSS BHUTANESE REFUGEES REF: NEW DELHI 2730 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Janet Bogue for reason 1.5 (B & D). ¶1. (C) On May 6, Deputy Assistant Secretary Don Camp, Charge d'Affaires Janet Bogue and Indian Ambassador Shyam Saran met on the sidelines of the Nepal Development Forum to discuss the current political situation and the value of reinforcing each other's strong and consistent messages to both the King and political parties (reported septel). At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Saran made it a point to raise the Bhutanese refugee issue, specifically with regard to third country resettlement. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Saran stated that he had heard from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that the U.S. Government planned to offer resettlement to "some" Bhutanese refugees. He expressed a concern that any efforts in this regard would interrupt the process underway. DAS Camp assured Saran that the USG did not plan to offer resettlement until the Bhutanese Government began repatriating refugees. Camp promised to consult with the Government of India as this process moved forward. Ambassador Saran indicated that Joint Secretary Ranjit Rae planned to go to Thimpu next month and SIPDIS would encourage the Government of Bhutan to take steps to move beyond the current impasse and reinstate the verification process (reftel). ¶3. (U) DAS Don Camp cleared on this cable. BOGUE