NEPAL: FOOD FOR BHUTANESE REFUGEES AT RISK, GON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 003265

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

ROME FOR FODAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV CH BH NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: FOOD FOR BHUTANESE REFUGEES AT RISK, GON
NEEDS TO TREAD SOFTLY ON TIBETANS

KATHMANDU 00003265 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA Nicholas Dean for reasons 1.4(b/d).

Summary
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1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 8.


2. (C) Foreign Ministry Joint Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai
expressed concern to RefCoord December 21 about a possible
break in the World Food Program's food supply to the
Bhutanese refugees. WFP Deputy Country Director separately
requested the USG consider funding the refugee food program.
Bhattarai noted widespread concern about the planned U.S.
resettlement program and requested additional details. He
was optimistic that third-country resettlement could begin
after the next Bhutan-Nepal ministerial, but stressed the
need to hold the Royal Government of Bhutan in some way
accountable for the expulsion of nearly 1/6 of its
population. On the issue of 180 Tibetan asylee
following-to-join cases, Bhattarai indicated that the
Government of Nepal (GON) would have to proceed very quietly
and that the U.S. would need to constantly remind the GON of
its humanitarian obligation to allow these families to be
reunified.

Possible Break In The Food Pipeline For Bhutanese Refugees
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3. (SBU) In a December 21 meeting with Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) Joint Secretary for UN Affairs Dinesh
Bhattarai, RefCoord learned that the World Food Program (WFP)
office in Kathmandu had issued a letter to the MFA suggesting
that, beginning January 30, 2007, there would be a break in
the food pipeline for the 107,000 Bhutanese refugees living
in eastern Nepal. Bhattarai expressed serious concern about
the humanitarian crisis that would ensue if food assistance
were cut.

Food Delivery Ensured Through January
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4. (SBU) RefCoord subsequently spoke with WFP Deputy Country
Director Dominique Hyde regarding this issue. Hyde reported
that every two years WFP had to seek funding from donor
countries for food assistance to the Bhutanese refugees.
Current funding was sufficient only through December 31,
2006, she said. Although WFP had borrowed funding through an
internal loan process, that would only ensure food delivery
to the refugee camps through end-January 2007. Hyde
indicated that the European Union was the only donor that had
shown interest in funding this program and even that
commitment, if secured, would only last two months. She
explained that the WFP request was for USD 20 million for a
two-year program.

More Information on U.S. Resettlement Wanted
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5. (C) Bhattarai noted the high-level of interest within the
GON bureaucracy in resolving the 16-year-old issue of
Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. However, he said, many
officials, from the Home Ministry to Members of Parliament,
had asked him about the conditions of resettlement to the
U.S. and other host countries. Many of these officials
worried that the U.S. would cherry pick refugees by only
taking the young and well-educated. To be able to respond to
these queries, Bhattarai specifically requested RefCoord to
provide him with information on U.S. resettlement, e.g. how
would they be transported, where would they be settled, and
what would be their legal status in the U.S. He opined that
once the GON was well-informed about the U.S. refugee

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resettlement, it would be more willing to agree to, and move
forward with, the program. Bhattarai welcomed RefCoord's
assurance that an information sheet on U.S. resettlement
would be forthcoming and would be shared publicly.

Necessary to Hold Bhutan Accountable
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6. (C) Bhattarai believed the next Bhutan-Nepal ministerial
would be postponed until after formation of the interim
government, but did not think that Maoist participation in
the government would delay the bilateral meeting. Bhattarai
passionately described the need to hold the Royal Government
of Bhutan (RGOB) in some way accountable for the expulsion of
nearly 1/6 of its population, even if it was merely a
commitment from Bhutan that this would not happen again. He
agreed with RefCoord that the future of the refugees should
not be held hostage to the issue of Bhutanese accountability,
but suggested both tracks could be pursued simultaneously.

GON Must Tread Quietly on Tibetan Issues
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7. (C) When asked about progress on permission for the 180
Tibetan asylee following-to-join cases to depart Nepal,
Bhattarai commented that the GON wanted to move forward, but
had to proceed very quietly in order to avoid condemnation
from the People's Republic of China (PRC). RefCoord
expressed frustration that many of these individuals were
minor-aged children who had been waiting for over two years
to rejoin their families in the U.S. and offered Embassy
cooperation to facilitate their departure. Bhattarai
responded that the U.S. had to keep reminding the GON to
resolve this problem. He also requested RefCoord to provide
a letter outlining the particular situation of these 180
Tibetans, specifically indicating what would be there legal
status and how they would be resettled. RefCoord explained
to him verbally and agreed to follow-up with a letter. (Note:
Post has already outlined the status of these 180 Tibetan
asylee following-to-join cases to officials at both the Home
and Foreign Ministries, but will do so again. End Note.)

Comment and Action Request
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8. (SBU) Joint Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai, a useful
interlocutor on a wide-range of issues over the past three
years, was recently nominated to be Nepal's next Ambassador
to UN Mission Geneva. Whether in Kathmandu or in Geneva, he
will be a helpful ally in convicing the GON to move forward
with resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees. At a time when
resolution of the 16-year old Bhutanese refugee situation may
be close at hand, it is critical that the U.S. show its
support for the refugees. According to WFP, USG funding in
2006 equalled USD 1.94 million. Post requests Department to
consider partial funding for the WFP request of USD 20
million in support of the Bhutanese refugee food program for
2007-2008.
DEAN