No words can express our real affinity with the people of Bhutan of all the ethnic minorities, and with Bhutan. We all are the integral constituents of Bhutan. Bhutan is our motherland by birth and by right. Bhutan, and our Bhutanese brothers and sisters are shedding tears for us and for those gallant sons and daughters of the soil who became martyrs at the hands of security forces and corrupt government officials. The fresh water lakes and rivers in Bhutan no longer reflect the serene beauty of spectacular snow capped virgin mountain peaks and bush green valleys, but they reflect a painted version of the soiled Shangri-La.
Many years have passed in exile in the refugee camps. Over these years, many precious lives have been lost for good and many are added to face the worst. Death, at least is better than being refugees without destiny and destination. With no solution in sight, the refugees have become frustrated, the youths have been politically exploited, the students and children have become vulnerable to 'ills' in the society. There are visual indications of fast deteriorating moral code of public conduct and sense of belonging amongst our younger generation. Life has been very unfair to them and they at times resort to meet their ends by unfair means. If such trend sets in among our younger lots, the result would indeed be counter-productive to the expectation for early return to home.
1. The entire credit for our miserable existence in the over crowded refugee camps in Nepal is the making of the throne of Wangchuk Dynasty of Bhutan and if not his trusted lieutenants. Father-King Jigme says that the so-called refugees want to return to Bhutan 'in triumph’ with international support and Nepal with 'Pan Nepal' concept in mind. We say that we simply want to return back to home with assurance of human rights and democracy under constitutional monarchy. Greater Nepal strategy is the making of Thimphu regime and not the innocent citizens’ doing. Issue of democracy was never ever raised in the valleys of Bhutan. The peaceful demonstration of 1990 was a rally for human rights only. Democracy to human rights is added in our desperate endeavour for peace and security out of shear frustration over the regime’s failure to redress the peoples’ aspirations. There is absolutely no truth in Father-King Jigme’s choreographed wordings of an issue of bogus nature. The reality lies somewhere. People from south are forcefully evicted while in east the Sharchops are suppressed including some Ngalongs for the regime's vested interest and personal continuation with absolute power in the golden throne room of Tashichhodzong.
2. With limited coverage by media persons, a less is known about "what goes on inside" Bhutan. Few journalists who succeed to enter the gate to "Dragon kingdom' exit with all praise for regime's hospitality, gracious personality in a magnified version and a pocketful of hard currency and cases of Black and Red Label Scotch Whiskey. Few succeed in focusing the real personification of the king with a venomous mentality. The media coverage on 'suffering' of southern and eastern Bhutanese is smallest amount to say the least.
To find out the real sufferings in Bhutan and the extensive abuse of human rights, one should instead visit southern and remote areas of eastern Bhutan rather than spend times with royal guides in the central Bhutan lost in their temporary pleasure designs. The abject misery, suffering of the people and their horrible state of affairs will only then make anyone assess "who the real trouble shooters are". Further, the insight of inside Bhutan will only then make someone think deeply about "the peace and tranquil image of serene Shangri-La”, and the call for "human rights and democracy". The real scenario of scenic Bhutan will compel the outsiders to enquire “of all the places why the return to Bhutan then” and the obvious answers of ours will be "because we have affiliation with Bhutan for generations", and "we have deep affinity for Bhutan and the people of Bhutan".
We would like to ask a question to the outsiders that despite documentary evidence by Amnesty international, UNHCR, World Human Rights Institutions, the ASSR Jurists Commission report, ICRC reports, Western and European countries and others that there are severe human rights violations taking place in Bhutan, "why the international community specially India and the European countries continue to pour money into Bhutan?"
Instead, please help us to go back as we belong to Bhutan, our lands are in need of our care, and Bhutan needs ornamentation after disgrace by "all absolute rulers”. We the Bhutanese refugees want to build our country and live like equal human beings in peace and harmony.
