INDIA SUPPORTS REPATRIATION OF CATEGORY 1

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 007000

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2014
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM IN NP BT UNHCR
SUBJECT: INDIA SUPPORTS REPATRIATION OF CATEGORY 1
BHUTANESE REFUGEES

REF: STATE 232445

Classified By: Ambassador David C. Mulford, Reasons 1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) Polcouns and Poloff met on November 1 with MEA Joint
Secretary (Nepal/Bhutan) Ranjit Rae to brief on the strategy

SIPDIS
recently outlined by King Wangchuck to A/S Dewey to
repatriate Category 1 refugees from the Khudunabari camp
(Reftel). Rae replied that the GOI welcomes this strategy as
a way break the deadlock, and is hopeful it could dove-tail
to other solutions to the problem. He indicated that King
Wangchuck had described our initiative to the Indian
delegation during a recent royal investiture ceremony in
Thimphu and appreciated the early US consultation. He was
particularly curious about Nepalese reactions. Rae mentioned
in passing that Category 3 refugees from Nepal could also be
included in the initial plan (in order to remove them from
the equation),but did not press this point.


2. (C) GOI has also pressed the GON to allow UNHCR to
conduct profiling and re-registration surveys, Rae said, but
Kathmandu remains concerned that this process will lead to
local integration of large numbers of refugees. Responding
to reftel, he indicated that New Delhi would weigh in to
support the initiative.


3. (C) The Joint Secretary expressed concern with the
strategy of having the Nepalese and Bhutanese Ambassadors to
India draft letters specifying the details of an agreement on
the grounds that the two have not talked to each other about
the issue. The Nepalese Ambassador has not commented
publicly on refugee matters, and the prior ambassador was
much more personally involved, said Rae. The King of Nepal
will visit New Delhi in late November and might discuss the
refugee situation with GOI interlocutors during the trip.
Rae believed the Nepalese King was generally interested in
resolving the issue, and he might play a role similar to that
of the King of Bhutan in moving the process forward.


4. (C) Concluding, Rae stressed the importance of ensuring
that the UN, EU and other Friends of Bhutan states do not
derail the process by harping on the conditions of return and
other controversial issues. He urged the US to encourage the
Europeans and UN to support the process and not to make
public statements that could cause problems.
MULFORD