HOME MINISTER POSITIVE ON REFUGEE ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001368 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016 TAGS: PREF PGOV CMGT NP SUBJECT: HOME MINISTER POSITIVE ON REFUGEE ISSUES REF: KATHMANDU 1328 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty, Reasons, 1.4 (b/d). Follow-To Join Tibetan Refugee Cases -------------- ¶1. (C) Home Minister Krishna Sitaula, joined by new Home Secretary Umesh Mainali, raised refugee issues with the SIPDIS Ambassador during a May 30 meeting. Sitaula cited the recent GON decision to issue travel documents to refugees (reftel). In response to whether "follow-to-join" Tibetan refugees would be eligible to travel to the U.S., the Home Minister said yes. Mainali, stating that these were humanitarian cases, asked that the Embassy send a letter with the names of those refugees. The Ministry took on board the Ambassador's urging that the GON establish a process for these cases rather than rely on a Cabinet decision for each determination. Bhutanese Refugees -------------- ¶2. (C) The Ambassador also urged the GON to issue exit permits to vulnerable Bhutanese refugee cases. The Home Minister seemed to view the request positively. Upon hearing that other countries also had vulnerable cases in the pipeline, he suggested that UNHCR send a letter to the Ministry detailing the specific cases. Pol/Econ Chief subsequently briefed UNHCR Country Resident Abraham Abraham, who said he would send such a letter to the Home Ministry prior to a June 1 meeting he had scheduled with Home Minister Sitaula. The Ambassador also pressed the issue of allowing UNHCR to conduct a "census" of the Bhutanese refugee camps. He noted that UNHCR conducted a census in its camps world-wide, and that the RGOB had used Nepal's past reluctance as evidence that Nepal was to blame in the lack of progress on the refugee issue. Mainali said that the Home Ministry would coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this issue. Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) The Home Ministry seems eager to do the right thing on refugee issues. Although Sitaula still seems somewhat uncomfortable in meetings with foreigners, we view it as positive that he brought in Mainali, who is well-versed in refugee issues. MORIARTY