Security at several points along the India-Nepal border has been tightened anticipating protests from Bhutanese refugees during the SAARC summit to be held in Thimpu next week, officials said on Friday.
“Prohibitive orders and restrictions on movement have been imposed at security posts and police are on alert,” Inspector-General of State Police (North Bengal) K. L. Tamta told the Hindu over telephone.“We have received information that a symbolic protest march may be held during the SAARC summit and the refugees may attempt to cross the Mechi River and come into India,” he added.
Sources at the Bhutanese consulate here confirmed that rumours were being circulated that demonstrations would be held by refugees during the SAARC summit.
Meanwhile, officials at Bhutan's Foreign Ministry did not rule out the possibility of the issue of repatriation of refugees to Bhutan being raised during bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the Summit. “Bilateral discussions between Bhutan and all member-countries have been scheduled during the summit, but what issues will be raised at the meeting have not been decided,” said Doma Tshering, a spokesperson at Bhutan's Foreign Ministry.
The matter was brought up at a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Bhutan and Nepal, Jigme Y. Thinley and Madhav Yadav, during Mr. Thinley's visit to Kathmandu recently for the funeral of former Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. However, it was not discussed at length, she added. People of Nepali origin who were residing in Bhutan but had entered the country after 1958 were forced to leave Bhutan after considerable tension in the late 1980s. These refugees settled in camps at eastern Nepal and many of them have been living there for nearly two decades. Attempts to force an entry back into Bhutan via Indian territory have been made in the past. In 2008 they had held similar protests and the police had to fire in the air to prevent them from coming into India, Mr. Tamta added.
Ananya Dutta
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