Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1199
2006-05-11 06:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
NEW FOREIGN MINISTER: NO IMMEDIATE PROGRESS LIKELY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0009 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHKT #1199/01 1310629 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 110629Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1406 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4332 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0349 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 4588 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 0316 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9692 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2575 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3984 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 9710 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0232 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0179 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0291 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0861 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1120 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001199
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL NP
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER: NO IMMEDIATE PROGRESS LIKELY
ON REFUGEE ISSUES
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).
All Bhutanese in Camps Should Be Repatriated...
--------------------------------------------- ---
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001199
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL NP
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER: NO IMMEDIATE PROGRESS LIKELY
ON REFUGEE ISSUES
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).
All Bhutanese in Camps Should Be Repatriated...
-------------- ---
1. (C) In a May 10 meeting with K.P. Oli, new Foreign
Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Ambassador
highlighted recent USG efforts to find a permanent solution
for the Bhutanese refugees. The Ambassador urged the
government to allow UNHCR to register and verify people in
the camps, and asked the government to issue travel documents
to certain urgent vulnerable cases, including three minor
girls whom the U.S. was willing to accept for resettlement.
Oli stressed that he very much wanted to resolve the
Bhutanese refugee issue and asserted that Nepal gained
nothing from keeping people in the camps. The Foreign
Minister expressed concern for the many ethnic Nepalis who
remained in Bhutan. Oli explained that as a result of the
Anglo-Nepal War of 1814-1816, many Nepali speaking people
ended up residing in India and Bhutan. Although these people
still spoke Nepali, that did not make them Nepali citizens.
He firmly believed that the people in the camps were
Bhutanese, and that Bhutan should recognize this fact and
accept all refugees back as full citizens of Bhutan.
...However, Other Options Possible
--------------
2. (C) When the Ambassador suggested third country
resettlement, Oli indicated that he wanted to focus on
repatriation to Bhutan. Oli acknowledged, however, that
there might be options other than repatriation, saying he did
not want to "negate other possibilities." He added that he
hoped to continue dialogue so as to find a way forward on
this issue. Oli explained that Bhutan needed to guarantee
the refugees could live with respect and without fear of
future ethnic cleansing upon their return to Bhutan.
Human Rights and Democracy at Heart of Issue
--------------
3. (C) Oli explained that the root cause of the "ethnic
cleansing" was the lack of human rights and democracy in
Bhutan. He viewed the issue not as one between Nepal and
Bhutan, but between the people of Bhutan and their
government. He noted that the Bhutanese refugees had been
expelled for calling for democracy and respect for human
rights. However, Oli stated that these were "fundamental"
issues that were not an internal issue for any government as
there were international standards that needed to be upheld.
"We cannot close our eyes. We must speak out," Oli
explained.
Tibetans: Not Easy
--------------
4. (C) The Ambassador urged the government to issue exit
permits to transiting Tibetans and travel documents to
Tibetan refugees resident in Nepal, highlighting our backlog
of follow-to join cases. Oli noted that Nepal was "not in
that easy a position." He pointed out Nepal's long history
of protecting Tibetan refugees, but stressed that Nepal did
"not want to hurt our neighbors to the north or south."
"This is our reality," Oli explained. However, Oli stressed
that Nepal was "committed" to protecting and promoting human
rights. Oli commented that the Nepali government hoped to
"establish a a very favorable situation of human rights in
Nepal" and would work with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the international community
to do so.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) K.P. Oli, although new at his job of Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister, displayed a strong background
knowledge of Bhutanese refugee issues. He dealt with refugee
issues as Home Minister in 1994 and 1995, when he twice led
bilateral talks on the Bhutanese refugee issue, once in
Thimpu and once in Kathmandu. He also comes from eastern
Jhapa District, location of six of the seven Bhutanese
refugee camps. Post will continue to urge the government to
move forward on refugee issues. This may be challenging
given the current government's focus on other issues,
particularly institutionalizing democracy in Nepal and
bringing the Maoists into the political mainstream (septel).
Although we do not have to start again at ground zero with FM
Oli, we will need to work hard with him to ensure positive
movement on refugee issues.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL NP
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER: NO IMMEDIATE PROGRESS LIKELY
ON REFUGEE ISSUES
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).
All Bhutanese in Camps Should Be Repatriated...
-------------- ---
1. (C) In a May 10 meeting with K.P. Oli, new Foreign
Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Ambassador
highlighted recent USG efforts to find a permanent solution
for the Bhutanese refugees. The Ambassador urged the
government to allow UNHCR to register and verify people in
the camps, and asked the government to issue travel documents
to certain urgent vulnerable cases, including three minor
girls whom the U.S. was willing to accept for resettlement.
Oli stressed that he very much wanted to resolve the
Bhutanese refugee issue and asserted that Nepal gained
nothing from keeping people in the camps. The Foreign
Minister expressed concern for the many ethnic Nepalis who
remained in Bhutan. Oli explained that as a result of the
Anglo-Nepal War of 1814-1816, many Nepali speaking people
ended up residing in India and Bhutan. Although these people
still spoke Nepali, that did not make them Nepali citizens.
He firmly believed that the people in the camps were
Bhutanese, and that Bhutan should recognize this fact and
accept all refugees back as full citizens of Bhutan.
...However, Other Options Possible
--------------
2. (C) When the Ambassador suggested third country
resettlement, Oli indicated that he wanted to focus on
repatriation to Bhutan. Oli acknowledged, however, that
there might be options other than repatriation, saying he did
not want to "negate other possibilities." He added that he
hoped to continue dialogue so as to find a way forward on
this issue. Oli explained that Bhutan needed to guarantee
the refugees could live with respect and without fear of
future ethnic cleansing upon their return to Bhutan.
Human Rights and Democracy at Heart of Issue
--------------
3. (C) Oli explained that the root cause of the "ethnic
cleansing" was the lack of human rights and democracy in
Bhutan. He viewed the issue not as one between Nepal and
Bhutan, but between the people of Bhutan and their
government. He noted that the Bhutanese refugees had been
expelled for calling for democracy and respect for human
rights. However, Oli stated that these were "fundamental"
issues that were not an internal issue for any government as
there were international standards that needed to be upheld.
"We cannot close our eyes. We must speak out," Oli
explained.
Tibetans: Not Easy
--------------
4. (C) The Ambassador urged the government to issue exit
permits to transiting Tibetans and travel documents to
Tibetan refugees resident in Nepal, highlighting our backlog
of follow-to join cases. Oli noted that Nepal was "not in
that easy a position." He pointed out Nepal's long history
of protecting Tibetan refugees, but stressed that Nepal did
"not want to hurt our neighbors to the north or south."
"This is our reality," Oli explained. However, Oli stressed
that Nepal was "committed" to protecting and promoting human
rights. Oli commented that the Nepali government hoped to
"establish a a very favorable situation of human rights in
Nepal" and would work with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the international community
to do so.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) K.P. Oli, although new at his job of Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister, displayed a strong background
knowledge of Bhutanese refugee issues. He dealt with refugee
issues as Home Minister in 1994 and 1995, when he twice led
bilateral talks on the Bhutanese refugee issue, once in
Thimpu and once in Kathmandu. He also comes from eastern
Jhapa District, location of six of the seven Bhutanese
refugee camps. Post will continue to urge the government to
move forward on refugee issues. This may be challenging
given the current government's focus on other issues,
particularly institutionalizing democracy in Nepal and
bringing the Maoists into the political mainstream (septel).
Although we do not have to start again at ground zero with FM
Oli, we will need to work hard with him to ensure positive
movement on refugee issues.
MORIARTY