Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1993
2006-07-26 11:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON JULY 14 CORE GROUP
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001993
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL BT IN NP
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON JULY 14 CORE GROUP
MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 118533
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001993
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL BT IN NP
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON JULY 14 CORE GROUP
MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 118533
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Summary
--------------
1. (C) On July 25, the Ambassador met with Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister K.P. Oli to give a read-out of the
July 14 Core Group meeting and to confirm points on Bhutanese
and Tibetan refugees (reftel). Oli confirmed the Government
of Nepal's (GON) commitment to allow resettlement of the 16
vulnerable Bhutanese refugees and to allow the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to conduct a
"re-registration" of refugees in the Bhutanese refugee camps
beginning October 8. Oli expressed some concern about the
proposed resettlement of 5,000 Tibetans and said it was an
issue the GON would continue to consider. End Summary.
GON Moving Forward On Bhutanese Issues
--------------
2. (C) On July 25, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
K.P. Oli confirmed to the Ambassador that the GON would allow
UNHCR to conduct a "re-registration" in the Bhutanese refugee
camps beginning October 8. Oli also confirmed that the GON
was committed to the resettlement of the 16 vulnerable cases
to the U.S. and Canada as soon as possible. Oli emphasized
that he has been trying to explain to people that allowing
the resettlement of these 16 cases on humanitarian grounds
was a separate issue from allowing large-scale third-country
resettlement of Bhutanese refugees. Oli expressed concern
about the current opinions coming from the Bhutanese refugee
leaders who have begun to hold demonstrations for a
"repatriation only" solution to the Bhutanese issue. He
believed that many in the Bhutanese community have seen the
democratic changes that have taken place in Nepal, and have
been inspired to create the same changes in Bhutan. Oli
stated that he was unconvinced that the Royal Government of
Bhutan (RGOB) actually wanted to solve the refugee problem in
Nepal, and said that "the 21st century will come and go
without a solution if we wait for Bhutan."
3. (C) Oli informed us that he planned to meet with the RGOB
Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the next South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting to find
out whether the RGOB is serious about finding a solution to
the Bhutanese refugee issue. Oli stated that, if the RGOB is
not serious, then the GON "must find alternatives to
repatriation because we cannot wait another 16 years."
Moving More Slowly On Tibetan Issues
--------------
4. (C) Oli told the Ambassador that there could be "problems"
with the proposed resettlement of 5,000 Tibetans to the U.S.
Oli noted that the PRC Ambassador had visited him many times
to express reservations about resettlement. Oli also told us
that the PRC was "furious" that the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs had issued travel documents and exit permits to
Tibetans. Oli assured us that the GON would continue to
issue exit permits to Tibetans on humanitarian grounds,
including for family reunification and for medical treatment.
The Ambassador pushed hard on the Tibetan issue, and asked
if perhaps we could start quietly resettling a small number
of "pre-1989" cases in order to begin movement on Tibetan
refugees while still allaying fears of a "magnet effect".
(Note: Up until 1989, the GON granted refugee status to
Tibetans fleeing the Tibet Autonomous Region.) While he did
not directly respond to the question, Oli said there would be
more discussion on the issue in the future.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) The GON appears to be moving on Bhutanese refugee
issues, but is coming under heavy pressure from Beijing on
Tibetan refugee issues. It appears that Ambassador Acharya
may have been confused in New York when he said that Nepal
would allow the 5,000 Tibetans to resettle in the U.S. We
KATHMANDU 00001993 002 OF 002
need to keep up the pressure on both of these issues if we
are to convince the GON to move forward on both Bhutanese and
Tibetan refugees.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL BT IN NP
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON JULY 14 CORE GROUP
MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 118533
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Summary
--------------
1. (C) On July 25, the Ambassador met with Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister K.P. Oli to give a read-out of the
July 14 Core Group meeting and to confirm points on Bhutanese
and Tibetan refugees (reftel). Oli confirmed the Government
of Nepal's (GON) commitment to allow resettlement of the 16
vulnerable Bhutanese refugees and to allow the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to conduct a
"re-registration" of refugees in the Bhutanese refugee camps
beginning October 8. Oli expressed some concern about the
proposed resettlement of 5,000 Tibetans and said it was an
issue the GON would continue to consider. End Summary.
GON Moving Forward On Bhutanese Issues
--------------
2. (C) On July 25, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
K.P. Oli confirmed to the Ambassador that the GON would allow
UNHCR to conduct a "re-registration" in the Bhutanese refugee
camps beginning October 8. Oli also confirmed that the GON
was committed to the resettlement of the 16 vulnerable cases
to the U.S. and Canada as soon as possible. Oli emphasized
that he has been trying to explain to people that allowing
the resettlement of these 16 cases on humanitarian grounds
was a separate issue from allowing large-scale third-country
resettlement of Bhutanese refugees. Oli expressed concern
about the current opinions coming from the Bhutanese refugee
leaders who have begun to hold demonstrations for a
"repatriation only" solution to the Bhutanese issue. He
believed that many in the Bhutanese community have seen the
democratic changes that have taken place in Nepal, and have
been inspired to create the same changes in Bhutan. Oli
stated that he was unconvinced that the Royal Government of
Bhutan (RGOB) actually wanted to solve the refugee problem in
Nepal, and said that "the 21st century will come and go
without a solution if we wait for Bhutan."
3. (C) Oli informed us that he planned to meet with the RGOB
Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the next South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting to find
out whether the RGOB is serious about finding a solution to
the Bhutanese refugee issue. Oli stated that, if the RGOB is
not serious, then the GON "must find alternatives to
repatriation because we cannot wait another 16 years."
Moving More Slowly On Tibetan Issues
--------------
4. (C) Oli told the Ambassador that there could be "problems"
with the proposed resettlement of 5,000 Tibetans to the U.S.
Oli noted that the PRC Ambassador had visited him many times
to express reservations about resettlement. Oli also told us
that the PRC was "furious" that the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs had issued travel documents and exit permits to
Tibetans. Oli assured us that the GON would continue to
issue exit permits to Tibetans on humanitarian grounds,
including for family reunification and for medical treatment.
The Ambassador pushed hard on the Tibetan issue, and asked
if perhaps we could start quietly resettling a small number
of "pre-1989" cases in order to begin movement on Tibetan
refugees while still allaying fears of a "magnet effect".
(Note: Up until 1989, the GON granted refugee status to
Tibetans fleeing the Tibet Autonomous Region.) While he did
not directly respond to the question, Oli said there would be
more discussion on the issue in the future.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) The GON appears to be moving on Bhutanese refugee
issues, but is coming under heavy pressure from Beijing on
Tibetan refugee issues. It appears that Ambassador Acharya
may have been confused in New York when he said that Nepal
would allow the 5,000 Tibetans to resettle in the U.S. We
KATHMANDU 00001993 002 OF 002
need to keep up the pressure on both of these issues if we
are to convince the GON to move forward on both Bhutanese and
Tibetan refugees.
MORIARTY