UNHCR DONORS DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD ON BHUTANESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 003090

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV NP
SUBJECT: UNHCR DONORS DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD ON BHUTANESE
RESETTLEMENT


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

Summary
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1. (C) During a November 20 meeting, Janet Lim, Director of
the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific for the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),updated core group
Ambassadors on the status of the census and potential
resettlement for Bhutanese refugees in camps in eastern
Nepal. The Ambassador stressed the need for core group
countries to declare publicly the number of refugees their
countries could take for resetlement. The Ambassador also
told them that the USG planned to move ahead with
resettlement plans. Lim worried about the possible loss of
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister KP Oli from an
Interim Government, and the effect that could have on
potential refugee resettlement. In a separate UNHCR donors
meeting, Lim stated that, although UNHCR was concerned about
the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP),UNHCR-Nepal
did not see an expanded role for itself regarding IDPs.

Census Has Begun: Not Linked To Resettlement
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2. (C) On November 20, Janet Lim, Director of the UNHCR
Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, told core group Ambassadors
that the census of the Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern
Nepal had begun on November 15 and was moving along well.
Abraham Abraham, UNHCR Country Representative for Nepal, said
that the first camp census (Beldangi-I) would probably be
finished by mid-December. Lim stressed that the census was
not linked to third-country resettlement, although it will be
a good tool to provide information to resettlement officers,
should resettlement occur.

Resettlement Should Begin Soon
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3. (C) The Ambassador made it clear that the U.S. was ready
to move full-steam ahead on resettlement as soon as possible,
and asked whether countries could start resettlement
processing as soon as the census was done in the first camp.
None of the core group Ambassadors objected to action.
Several core group envoys agreed that it was necessary to
move as quickly as possible to put more pressure on the GON
to allow Bhutanese refugees to depart.


4. (C) The Ambassador suggested to the other COMs that now
would be a good time for other countries to come out publicly
with numbers on resettlement, as the USG had. The Canadians
had already said they were willing to take 5,000 or so. The
Australian Ambassador, Graeme Lade, said that although
Canberra had not given him exact numbers, he expected that
Australia could take 4,000-5,000 Bhutanese refugees per year.

Concern About Losing The Foreign Minister
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5. (C) Lim said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister KP Oli was a strong ally in the move toward
third-country resettlement. However, she worried that Oli
would not be in his position much longer; once an Interim
Government was formed, Oli would likely be out. Lim was
concerned that Oli had cancelled his trip to Bhutan on
November 21. Others agreed that it was unlikely that Oli
would take any action toward allowing resettlement before an
Interim Government was formed.

More Cooperation Needed On IDPs
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6. (C) In a separate donors meeting, Lim stated that UNHCR
had been looking at the IDP problem in Nepal as people
returned to their homes after the conflict. Lim said that,
although UNHCR was concerned about IDP issues, they did not
have enough information about the issue in Nepal to validate

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committing the resources necessary to provide support to
IDPs. The donors present at the meeting agreed, and decided
that more cooperation between UN agencies was needed before
beefing up any sort of UN mission here for IDPs.

Comment
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7. (C) Post is ready to move forward on the issue of
third-country resettlement, especially with the arrival of
our RefCoord on November 27. We are pleased that the census
is moving forward and believe we should move soon after the
first camp census is completed in mid-December to increase
pressure on the GON for resettlement. We share Lim's concern
about Oli's future, and worry that a new Foreign Minister
would need substantial briefing and persuasion before
considering third-country resettlement. Against the
unsettled and dynamic backdrop of Nepal's unfolding peace
process, we will continue to press the GON to make sure that
the Bhutanese are given the attention -- and ultimately,
relief -- they deserve.
MORIARTY