QUOTE
Indian police fire on Bhutanese refugees fleeing Nepal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070529/wl_af...ia_070529182316
by Sam Taylor Tue May 29, 2:23 PM ET
KATHMANDU (AFP) - A Bhutanese refugee was killed and 11 injured after Indian police fired on them as they tried to cross the Nepal-India border to return to their homeland, officials said Tuesday. "An 18-year-old youth who was shot in the thigh died of blood loss while being taken to hospital," Balaram Poudel, vice-chairman of the National Front for Democracy in Bhutan, told AFP from the border town of Kakarbhitta, 290 kilometres (180 miles) southeast of Kathmandu.
At least 11 others were hurt in the shooting, said Poudel and a journalist who were both at the scene.
"Around 12 refugees were injured in the Indian police firing at the Mechi bridge," that divides Nepal and India, journalist Ujjwal Prasai said.
The refugees, who live in camps in southeastern Nepal, were trying to cross the narrow strip of India's West Bengal state that separates Nepal and Bhutan.
About 7,000 refugees had gathered at the border to attempt to cross into India's West Bengal and on to Bhutan, Indian officials said in state capital Kolkata.
They blamed the refugees of provoking the police action.
"The refugees threw stones and bombs injuring 50 people including villagers after the police fired teargas and rubber bullets," Indian police inspector general Raj Kanojia said in Kolkata.
"But the Bhutanese ignored the warning shots and continued their march across the Mechi river bridge," he said.
"As the Bhutanese entered the Indian side, we fired more than 100 rounds to chase them away," he said and asserted that as many as 50 Indian securitymen were also hurt in an ensuing clash.
Nepal declined to comment on the incident, saying the shootings did not happen on its soil.
Two refugees have been shot dead by Nepalese police during protests at a refugee camp in the last three days.
A US offer to resettle more than half of the 107,000 Bhutanese refugees, some who have lived in UN camps for more than a decade, has created tension between those who want to go to a third country, and others who insist they be given the right to return to Bhutan, according to officials.
"We want unconditional passage via India to return to our country or the Indian government should try and resolve the issue through talks, otherwise our protests will continue," Poudel said.
Earlier this month, US-based Human Rights Watch said tension had increased since the US offer to resettle at least 60,000 refugees.
Most of them are ethnic Nepalese Hindus who were forced to leave Bhutan in the early 1990s when the Buddhist kingdom launched cultural reforms encouraging the use of Bhutan's language and national dress.
The two sides have met at least 16 times to try to resolve the issue.
Last week, the top UN refugee official called on the Bhutanese to assist in settling the fate of the refugees.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070529/wl_af...ia_070529182316
by Sam Taylor Tue May 29, 2:23 PM ET
KATHMANDU (AFP) - A Bhutanese refugee was killed and 11 injured after Indian police fired on them as they tried to cross the Nepal-India border to return to their homeland, officials said Tuesday. "An 18-year-old youth who was shot in the thigh died of blood loss while being taken to hospital," Balaram Poudel, vice-chairman of the National Front for Democracy in Bhutan, told AFP from the border town of Kakarbhitta, 290 kilometres (180 miles) southeast of Kathmandu.
At least 11 others were hurt in the shooting, said Poudel and a journalist who were both at the scene.
"Around 12 refugees were injured in the Indian police firing at the Mechi bridge," that divides Nepal and India, journalist Ujjwal Prasai said.
The refugees, who live in camps in southeastern Nepal, were trying to cross the narrow strip of India's West Bengal state that separates Nepal and Bhutan.
About 7,000 refugees had gathered at the border to attempt to cross into India's West Bengal and on to Bhutan, Indian officials said in state capital Kolkata.
They blamed the refugees of provoking the police action.
"The refugees threw stones and bombs injuring 50 people including villagers after the police fired teargas and rubber bullets," Indian police inspector general Raj Kanojia said in Kolkata.
"But the Bhutanese ignored the warning shots and continued their march across the Mechi river bridge," he said.
"As the Bhutanese entered the Indian side, we fired more than 100 rounds to chase them away," he said and asserted that as many as 50 Indian securitymen were also hurt in an ensuing clash.
Nepal declined to comment on the incident, saying the shootings did not happen on its soil.
Two refugees have been shot dead by Nepalese police during protests at a refugee camp in the last three days.
A US offer to resettle more than half of the 107,000 Bhutanese refugees, some who have lived in UN camps for more than a decade, has created tension between those who want to go to a third country, and others who insist they be given the right to return to Bhutan, according to officials.
"We want unconditional passage via India to return to our country or the Indian government should try and resolve the issue through talks, otherwise our protests will continue," Poudel said.
Earlier this month, US-based Human Rights Watch said tension had increased since the US offer to resettle at least 60,000 refugees.
Most of them are ethnic Nepalese Hindus who were forced to leave Bhutan in the early 1990s when the Buddhist kingdom launched cultural reforms encouraging the use of Bhutan's language and national dress.
The two sides have met at least 16 times to try to resolve the issue.
Last week, the top UN refugee official called on the Bhutanese to assist in settling the fate of the refugees.