NEPAL RESUMES ISSUING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO REFUGEES

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001328 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016 TAGS: PREF PGOV NP SUBJECT: NEPAL RESUMES ISSUING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO REFUGEES REF: KATHMANDU 1290 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). GON Resumes Issuance of Travel Documents -------------- ¶1. (C) K.P. Oli, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed to the Ambassador on May 24 that the Government of Nepal (GON) had decided to resume issuing travel documents to Tibetan and Bhutanese refugees effective immediately. Oli commented that the previous government had halted issuance of travel documents in October 2005 because it had been worried that the refugees were advocating human rights and democracy, principles which that government did not support. Oli said the current government came to power because of the success of the democratic people's movement and so it had no reason to keep the refugees from traveling outside of Nepal. (Note: The government has yet to resume issuing exit permits to Tibetan refugees transiting to India. End note.) FM Doubts Bhutanese Sincerity -------------- ¶2. (C) Oli stressed to the Ambassador his desire to find a solution to the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Oli said he planned to meet his Bhutanese counterpart at the Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial in Kuala Lumpur on May 30 and would briefly discuss the refugee issue. Recounting his experience dealing with the Bhutanese during previous rounds of discussions, Oli described the Bhutanese as disingenuous. He asserted that Bhutan took advantage of his predecessors, who "did not clearly understand refugee issues or Bhutan's designs and attitude." Oli did not respond to the Ambassador's suggestion that the GON should allow UNHCR verification of the refugees in the camps. Acknowledges that Other Solution Are Possible -------------- ¶3. (C) Oli acknowledged that it was possible that there might be different solutions but reiterated to the Ambassador the GON's stance as outlined to the diplomatic community (reftel) that Bhutan should recognize the refugees as Bhutanese citizens and allow its citizens to return. Oli stressed that it was important for the refugees themselves to agree to the solution. "We can't force the refugees out of Nepal as we can't behave like Bhutan in 1990," Oli commented. He noted that third-county resettlement might help some refugees, but he believed that was a "small, partial, and incomplete solution." He termed third-country resettlement "a little bit helpful," but stated, "it would be better to resolve the situation in its entirety." He concluded by saying Nepal would be flexible and willing to accept any solution that addressed the problem in its entirety. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) While Oli still is intent on pursuing the bilateral process, we will continue to encourage him to think of other solutions. Given his deep knowledge on this issue and past experience dealing with the Bhutanese, he might become more open to internationalizing the process, but he is not there yet. MORIARTY