(Based on a research done by Emanthi Marambe for Asia Media Forum Fellowship (2009-2010)on Bhutanese refugees reside in Hague, the Netherlands)
“The day was 4th of November 1990.I was in my Home Garden in the early hours of that fateful day when a group of more than 400 Army Officers surrounded my house. One Army Officer said that he had orders to arrest me on the ground that I had worked against the King and on that charge I was to be handed over to the Police .In the meantime a group of Army Officers entered my House to scrutinize the Files they had in their Possession Containing Documents to vouch that I had engaged in activities against the Country. The Army Officers who arrested me kept me in their Custody in their Camp which was once a School near which I carried out a Protest Campaign along with others. I saw all my neighbors in the Army Custody there ” A Bhutanese Refugee Bhupal Gurung said.
Bhupal served a prison term under the Bhutanese Government from 04th of November 1990 to 31st of March 1992.According to Bhupal the only reason why he was arrested by the Army Troops was his participation with his neighbors in a protest rally against the Government.
Bhupal had been manacled since his arrest as he and his colleagues had been kept in the army camp on that day without giving them a drop of Water to drink. On the same day he and five others were summoned kept in a lavatory in the school premises throughout the night bereft of food and water.
In the first half of the 90’s thousands of Bhutanese like Bhupal , had been arrested and subjected to cruelty for the reason that they had carried out a protest campaign against the Government showing their antipathy towards the deprivation of their rights and benefits. Out of these “Lhotshampas” people with a Nepalese Origin were the worst affected.
“Although we were confined to a School Lavatory on the first day, the Army Officers took steps to remove us to a 10th grade Classroom on the following day. Approximately twenty of us in number were bundled into this Classroom without any Cloths to wear.
On the fourth day the Army Captain summoned me and read charges against me for working against the King. Since I was innocent I refused the Charges leveled against me at which the Army Captain threatened to shoot me. The Army Captain continued to question me for conspiring against the King in the course of which he held the Gun at me several times”
According to Bhupal he was not aware of the Charge of revolting against the King. Finally as a measure of getting some relief in the face of intimidation and threats leveled against him by the Army Captain ,Bhupal had accepted the Charge in the belief that he would be acquitted so that he could go back and serve his people. Unfortunately he was not released as expected by Bhupal. Instead he had been forced to declare every day that he had revolted against the King. Added to this the Army Chief had engaged troops to threaten and subject him to various kinds of harmful activities.
“In the Nights the Army Captain used to attack me and this Inhuman Attack continued for approximately two months, as a consequence of which I lost my senses. Even now I cannot recollect my bad experiences I had to encounter whilst in Prison”.
After two months, the Bhutanese King had visited the Prison where Bhupal and others had been confined. Although he had not directly made inquiries from the Prisoners, he had questioned the Army Captain in “Dzongkha” the language used in Bhutan. The King had asked the Army Captain a few questions like when and where did you arrest these people and what was the Crime committed by them?. After the King’s visit 100 prisoners including Bhupal had been transferred to a Centre in the City of “Serbung “ where Bhupal had to spend 13 Months in detention.
Bhupal says “I spent 15 Months in Prison and at the beginning of the 16 month detention ,the Superintendent in charge of the Prison summoned me and threatened me to accept all the charges framed against me. But I refused to accept them. Then he gave me a file of Papers to place my Signature. Since it was written in the “Dzongkha” language which I could not understand, the Superintendent told me that if I accept the charges against me that I would be freed.
The Superintendent continued to harass me ,attack me and insisted that I would be kept in the prison for a further period.
Since I could not tolerate any further this harassment meted out to me,I agreed to Sign their letter. Thereafter they freed me and when I went Home I learn t that my Family Members had been ordered to Leave the Country.
Then I made a request to the Supervisor of the District where I lived earlier to give me an Opportunity to Continue to live in Bhutan, which was rejected by the Supervisor. The Officers said that if I were to continue in Bhutan I would be arrested and Imprisoned. Since it became clear that I would not get a chance of living in my own country (Bhutan),I finally decided to leave Bhutan”.
According to Bhupal the fate of all the Bhutanese who had been compelled to leave Bhutan had been the same.
Now Bhupal who is a Refugee reside in Netherlands is Paralytic and suffers from loss of Appetite and weakness due to Harassment’s and blows he received whilst an Inmate of the Prison in Bhutan. The 47 year old Bhupal who still receives medicine for various complications caused as a consequence of blows and various other harassment’s he received in his Homeland ,is unable to do any heavy work .
Like Bhupal more than 122 other Bhutanese Refugees who have been re settled in several cities of Netherlands Under the Re Settlement Programme of Bhutanese Refugee implemented by the United Nations High Commission For Refugees(UNHCR).
(Special Thanks to UNHCR)