Representatives from various aid agencies, Armed Police Force and UNHCR, among others were present during the puja, informed Camp Secretary Dhan Bir Subba.

“All means that we have been applying to chase away wild elephants seemed ineffective. Thus, we decided to choose this option,” said Subba.

The puja was performed in Hamse Dumse Community Forest from where wild elephants mostly enter into the camps.

Dozens of huts have been destroyed by wild animals so far. At least three exiled Bhutanese were killed by wild elephants last year.

Reported by Shekhar Rizal from Beldangi-II for BNS

The organization said the paper will carry various literary voices of Bhutanese writers and creators from across the globe.

Various writers and creators from Bhutan, Nepal and India presented their creations during the event titled Brihat Antarastriya Srijanatmak Anusthan on Friday.

Bimal Rai, editor of the Himalayan Darpan, a daily newspaper published and circulated from Darjeeling of India, was the chief guest of the program.

The Organization also felicitated teachers from Druk Model School and Sun Rise Academy of the camp during the event. Various local artists and sexagenarian doctor Bhampa Rai were also honored.

Meanwhile, Khabar Yestai Cha, which is a compilation of various creations by Dawa Biswas Lama resettled in Canada, was also released during the program, informed the organizers.

Reported by Deo Kumar Tamang from Khudunabari camp for BNS

Late Kumar Pradhan had been in Palmerston just four months but had arrived New Zealand in late August last year. Friends and relatives remember him of a friendly person but of silent nature and short temper. The incidence is thought to have occurred in the night but the family found him dead only in the morning.

Born in Kalikhola of Dagana district, Pradhan was forced to leave the country with his family when he was still a child. The family stayed at Maidhar initially and moved to Bhutanese refugee camp Bendangi II.
A good football player of his age, Pradhan had not pursued his studies. Here, he had been attending ESOL classes at English Teaching College (ETC). Last went to his class was on January 13.

‘I like this country and is a beautiful place to live here”, he had told his brother Gopal one day while meeting him at Mangere and had hinted that he should have got married before moving to this country.

According to community organisation’s chairman Sudarshan Adhikari, the Bhutanese community really got organised in short period of time to manage for his funeral the next day.

Details to follow

Contributed by Doma Kafley

The newly elected team of the Committee of Bhutanese Welfare Association

Announced with an ad hoc committee in July last year, the committee also elected KN Pokhrel as Vice-Chairperson, Sunita Rai as Secretary, Anup Budathoki as Treasurer, and three central committee members – Dup Tshring Lepcha, Sabitra Giri and Jasu Subba for a tenure of two years, according to a press statement circulated Monday.

The statement issued by Secretary Sunita Rai also mentioned that senior members, intellectuals and academicians in the community have volunteered to remain in the advisory body of the organization.

“However, some individuals have abstained from attending it and expressed their reservations,” said Rai.

The newly elected body has also appealed all in the community to come forward with the attitude of mutual respect, compromise and positive thinking to discuss the problems in the interest of the community.

“We are in a transitional phase and in the process of integrating in the new society. We are practicing democracy and should respect the difference of opinions,’’ said newly elected Chairperson Giri.

The statement further said that a meeting of its central committee on Sunday discussed and identified various programs necessary for the resettled Bhutanese in the United Kingdom.

The CBWA has been running vocational trainings and intensive English learning programs in the community with an aim of enhancing capacity and competence.

A hut partially destroyed by the wild elephant in Beldangi-II

“The panic lasted almost an hour before refugees were able to chase away the animal,” Beldangi Camp Secretary Dhan Bir Subba told Bhutan News Service.

According to Subba, no humans were harmed by the animal. “The elephant destroyed at least 11 huts. Some of the displaced people are housed in a common shelter,” he added.

The distraction included seven huts of Beldangi-II and four of Beldangi-II Extension camp.

So far three exiled Bhutanese have been killed by wild elephants inside the camps. However, the authority has not yet compensated for the loss citing lack of legal provision for refugees to be benefited from the compensation package.

Reported by Hari Kumar Dahal and Moses Lagoon from Beldangi for BNS

Folk of Buddhist people during Lhosar celebration (Picture : Tilak Niraula)

Aimed at creating peace in the world, the five-day function gathered thousands of people from the camps and host communities.

“The celebrations achieved a grand success,” said Camp Secretary Campa Sign Rai. “This kind of program will enhance universal peace and fraternity.”

The Headwind team hands over photographs to CMC of Beldangi camps

A statement issued Thursday by the Empowerment Foundation (EF) stated that the photographs were handed over to Camp Secretary D.B Subba and his colleagues through a joint effort with the BRAIN (Bhutanese Refugees Association of Intellectual Novas).

The photographs depicting camp life as seen through the lenses of Director and Producer of the film Alice Verheij and Co-director Eveline van de Putte will be available for exhibitions in various places including schools, said the statement.

“On request of the BRAIN representatives, the Headwind production team will make a photo documentary about life of resettled Bhutanese in the Netherlands and bring that exhibition to the camps later this year,” added the statement.

Meanwhile, the Dutch team also supported 12 women, who fasted to death for 12 days in November, with some cash donations that the EF received from the Dutch Nepal Foundation VNN (Vereniging Nederland Nepal).

The Headwind team distributing cash donations to women

“Every individual ex hunger striker received an equal amount of funds meant for food support.”

The Headwind is a project of the Empowerment Foundation that will produce a feature length documentary about the Bhutanese refugee issue, life in the camps and during and after resettlement in the Netherlands.

The documentary film has been privately funded by the Director with support from individuals and the Dutch Refugee Council (Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland).

Exiled Bhutanese unloading materials after arriving in Beldangi camp from Timai (Picture : Vidhyapati Mishra)

According to Dhan Bir Subba, Camp Secretary of Beldangi, altogether 885 huts have been relocated in Beldangi whereas Pathri received a lesser number.

“The relocation of Timai camp has formally come to an end from today,” said Subba. Secretary Subba futher added that majority of Timai residents are happy to be in Beldangi.

LWF started shifting some 4000 exiled Bhutanese to Beldangi and Sanischare from November 11.

Reported by Moses Lagoon from Beldangi-II Extension for BNS

Santi Ram Bhujel was driving this blue Toyota Camry when he accidentally backed into and killed his wife, San Maya, on Monday (Picture courtesy : The Commercial Appeal)

Answering the door of their ramshackle apartment at 170 N. Hollywood on Tuesday afternoon, the family of Santi Ram Bhujel said he didn’t want to talk after the tragic incident that killed his wife, San Maya, on Monday.

It’s doubtful any words could have been more expressive than that haunting image.

“When I talked to these people, it just broke my heart,” said Jill Berry, whose company manages the Woodcrest apartment complex where the Bhujels live. “It’s so sad.”

The tragedy began just after 9:30 a.m. Monday, according to a witness. The Bhujels, in their blue Camry, were at the office in the apartment complex, ready to pay their rent.

According to police, Bhujel said he put the Camry in reverse and accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the brake.

The car shot backward, hitting another car as well as Bhujel’s wife and another woman. The car kept going, smashing a hole through an apartment. That hole was covered with plywood Tuesday.

“It sounded like ‘Boom!’ Loud,” said 19-year-old Tika Khadka, who lives in the building that was hit. “When I came here, she was under the car.”

The second woman wasn’t seriously injured, but San Maya was taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis in critical condition. The 45-year-old woman later succumbed to her injuries.

Police are investigating the incident, but no charges have been filed.

“The husband was backing up, and something happened. The mom got caught between the car and apartment building,” said Mike Allen of Catholic Charities, the group that helped resettle the Bhujels in Memphis from their native country, Nepal.

The Bhujels and their two daughters made their way here in 2010, Allen said. Like many other immigrants, including some from Nepal, they settled in the Woodcrest apartments.

The blue Camry was still parked in the lot Tuesday, fresh white paint scarring the dents in its trunk.

On Tuesday afternoon, the small apartment in Building A was filled with mourners to comfort the stricken Bhujel.

A family friend opened the door, allowing a glimpse of the broken man. She spoke to the family for a minute or two, then graciously declined to talk about the incident.

She then closed the door, leaving that man and his children with their grief.

Courtesy : www.commercialappeal.com

The letter addressed to Nepalese PM Dr. Baburam Bhattrai contains 30 signatures mostly of community workers, former political prisoners including Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience and community members.

After released from Chemgang prison, which the letter describes as the most notorious prison in Bhutan, some nine Bhutanese are known to be living with their family or relatives in refugee camp who are denied refugee status by the Government of Nepal.They are dependent on the ration and facility given to the host family. According to the appeal, they are having traumatic life and various hardships including insecurity and uncertainty in Nepal.

Although they made various appeals and attempts in the past to get registered, their appeal was turned down each time without satisfactory reasons.

Interestingly, they are recognized and registered by International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) as political prisoners and their ICRC numbers are mentioned against their name in the appeal. The appeal is copied to various stakeholders including Nepalese Home Minister, UNHCR and refugee advocacy groups, among others.