The Country Representative of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Stephane Jaquemet, who has been serving Nepal's office from January 4, 2010, has said that if everything goes as per his plans, UNHCR would be able to resettle the vast majority of all interested Bhutanese refugees in the next five years. Jaquemet has taken his position when the former UHCR Chief in Nepal, Daisy Dalle, completed her tenure from July last year. In his first detailed interview with media in Nepal, he has talked to Vidhyapati Mishra of Bhutan News Service and Radio Bhutan Online on various relevant issues. Excerpts:

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The first group of Bhutanese refugees who resettled in The Netherlands were given a place to live in Friesland. Two families, my brothers, were given houses there to live. So what happened, one day somebody threw a stone at my brother’s windows. So what I did was make an appointment with the mayor. And I took my brothers to her and we talked about this problem that somebody was throwing stones and that people were suspicious of us and that we were scared to live there. And what the mayor told us was to make an appointment with a journalist. And I even suggested to her to send a local journalist to their homes and write down in the local newspapers about them; who are they? why did they come to the Netherlands? what kind of people are they? what do they eat? what is their religion? Anything!

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First of all, they need to prepare themselves mentally and physically to the new environment of the United States. To do so, they have to learn English, and get as much information as they can about the culture and work environment of the city that they will be resettling in. Most importantly, they have to go there with an open mind, and shed whatever identity they have as refugees and start living. New York City is a tough city for anyone. And to resettle refugees here may seem like a wrong choice. However, we believe that the experience of adapting to life here would help them in the future.

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Exiled human right leader Tek Nath Rizal, who is agonized with news of passage of the former Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, said he has lost his father second time. Vidhyapati Mishra talked to him shortly after the formal announcement of Koirala's death by Central Committee meet of Nepali Congress

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The nomination of the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court came through when His Majesty, on December 17, accepted the six-member royal commission’s nominee, 60-year-old former Chief Justice, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, who superannuated on November 15. Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye served the country for 38 years, 18 and a half years in the judiciary. He [...]

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Stephanie Horton, a program facilitator at Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) under City School District in Syracuse has two decades’ experience working closely with different refugee groups. Her interest in languages led her to a place in Albany, the capital city of New York, called the International Center in early January, 1990. Initially, she worked as [...]

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This is just an intermediate situation and they need to always make decisions keeping in mind the motherland and its future. If it happens they will be able to preserve their Bhutanese identity-may it be that they are not in Bhutan or in Nepal or not having direct influence in present Bhutanese politics. It will help strengthen the democratic future of Bhutan.

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Late KB Khadka was a popular social activist within and outside Bhutanese refugee community. Bhutanese refugee community around the world is now mourning his unexpected death. IP Adhikari of BNS had talked to late Khadka and two other leaders about Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness before 18 months. This discussion was broadcast live from Nepal FM 91.8 in Kathmandu via Saranarthi Sarokar. Adhikari converted the interview into texts. Excerpts:

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Having seen no solution for the exiled Bhutanese even after 18 years of bitter stay in the UNHCR-administered camps, several countries have come forward with an offer of resettling the interested Bhutanese in their countries under the Third Country Resettlement Process (TCRP). The International Organization for Migration at Damak said that over 15 thousands Bhutanese citizens have already gone to the United States of America, Australia, Canada and other European countries so far. Also more than 60 thousands have declared their interests for the TCRP. Meanwhile, Senior Citizens Bhutan (SCB) has initiated filling up forms for repatriation. HarkajunJ Subba, the coordinator of SCB talks to Saranarthi Sarokar of Bhutan News Service on the latest repatriation initiative.

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A new handbook for training journalists in remote and disadvantaged parts of South Asia is currently being printed in Nepal. It is the brainchild of T.P. Mishra, founding president of the Bhutan Chapter of the Bangladesh-based Third World Media Network. The book was originally aimed at the Bhutanese refugee journalists who work, unpaid, in the refugee camps in Nepal, but those behind it want it made available to all journalists working in exile. Media Helping Media has contributed a chapter on journalism and activism for the book. In the following question and answer session, we asked T.P. Mishra to explain his thinking behind the publication.

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