CODEL KOLBE PUSHES FOR SOLUTION FOR BHUTANESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002343

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/INS, H (PLEASE PASS TO HACFO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL PTER NP

SUBJECT: CODEL KOLBE PUSHES FOR SOLUTION FOR BHUTANESE
REFUGEES

Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
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1. (C) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister K.P. Oli
suggested to CODEL Kolbe on August 25 that the Royal
Government of Bhutan (RGOB) and the Government of Nepal (GON)
should give bilateral talks one more chance, even though the
last 15 rounds of talks have been unsuccessful. During a
subsequent visit to the Bhutanese refugee camps in
southeastern Nepal, the CODEL found that many of the leaders
in the Bhutanese refugee community were pushing for a
solution consisting of repatriation only, although many
refugees indicated that they would like to resettle to a
third country. Meanwhile, the GON has indicated that it will
allow the 16 vulnerable cases to be resettled within the next
few weeks. End Summary.

Deputy Prime Minister Ambivalent About Resettlement
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2. (C) In a meeting on August 25, House Appropriations
Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)
stressed to Deputy PM Oli the USG's willingness to re-settle
50,000-70,000 Bhutanese refugees. Oli agreed with Chairman
Kolbe that security in the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal
could become problematic as young people in the camps became
increasingly fed up with their situation and influenced by
the Maoists. Oli lamented that 15 years of talks between the
GON and RGOB only paid "lip service" to the problem. Oli
mentioned he had had a discussion with the RGOB Foreign
Minister Wangchuk in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of a
recent SAARC meeting and had urged the FM to finalize a
solution to the refugee problem. This discussion yielded no
results.


3. (C) Oli indicated that if the RGOB was not willing to
talk, then third country resettlement could be an option.
Oli said he planned to hold serious talks with the RGOB on
refugees. He requested that Chairman Kolbe, during his visit
to Bhutan, remind the RGOB that, in the absence of a
solution, the refugees will grow increasingly upset and
become harder to repatriate. Oli expressed his concern at
the growing Maoist infiltration in the camps. Oli also
stressed the importance to Nepal that the RGOB be held
responsible for the original expulsion of the refugees from
Bhutan, in order to make less likely a further expulsion of
ethnic Nepalis from Bhutan.

Many Refugees Push for Repatriation
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4. (SBU) During an August 27 visit to two refugee camps in
eastern Nepal by CODEL Kolbe, a large group of refugees at
one camp protested against any solution to the Bhutanese
refugee situation other than 100-percent repatriation back to
Bhutan. Chairman Kolbe and the Ambassador both stressed to a
smaller group of refugees that the U.S. would like to see
repatriation as one solution to the problem. They stated
that the U.S. was looking at other possibilities as well,
including resettlement of large numbers of refugees to the
United States. Most of the political leadership of the two
camps told the CODEL that they wanted dignified repatriation
as the only solution. Many others attending the meeting
appeared interested in resettlement and asked concrete
questions regarding the rights that a resettled refugee would
enjoy.


5. (C) Some refugees, however, shared with the CODEL publicly
that they would like to find a solution to the problem, even
if that meant not repatriating to Bhutan. Despite what
appeared to be a concerted effort by camp leaders to promote
their view of repatriation as the only solution, a large
number of refugees passed written appeals to the CODEL and
the Ambassador asking for resettlement to the United States.
Their principal concerns seemed to be that third-country

resettlement be voluntary and be made available to all those
who wish it, not just a select few. The refugees charged
that the RGOB was spreading rumors about impending
resettlement from the camps to encourage the remaining ethnic
Nepalis to leave Bhutan.

Vulnerables Still Waiting to Leave
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6. (C) Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Oli has indicated
repeatedly, including in a meeting with the Ambassador on
August 18, that he would approve issuance of travel documents
to 16 vulnerable Bhutanese refugees for resettlement to the
U.S. and Canada. A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA) stated on August 29 that Oli would approve the issuance
of the documents immediately upon his return from China on
September 1. UNHCR said that it is ready to process the
cases as soon as the travel documents were issued.

Comment
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7. (C) The RGOB shows no willingness to allow the
repatriation of any of the refugees, including the 200-plus
refugees who were recognized by the RGOB as Bhutanese. The
Bhutanese refugee leadership continues to push for
repatriation as the only solution. The potential for Maoist
infiltration makes a rapid solution important. That said,
both the GON and the vast majority of the refugees seem to be
inching toward a realization that third country resettlement
could ameliorate conditions in the camps tremendously.
MORIARTY