Denver, May 20, 2009: The newly resettled Bhutanese in Denver, Colorado are getting passing sleepless nights due to increasing attacks on the in the recent days.
From left, Yadav Rizal, Mani Dahal and Pasupati Khanal talk about the black eye and cuts inflicted on Rizal in one of four known attacks on refugees from Bhutan in the metro area. (Photo source: Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
“Before leaving the refugee camp, I was thinking: We have problems. . . . I’ll feel safe in the United States. Now my feeling has changed. I’m not safe in the United States,” said Yadav Rizal, 39, who was robbed of $250, beaten and dragged behind a liquor store in northeast Denver.
Due to the attacks, he has to change his apartment, again becoming refugee in America. His family shifted to a new place on Tuesday.
Denver and Aurora police are investigating three crimes. This was the fourth instance of attack on the Bhutanese. After the May 8 robbery, Rizal was unconscious for five hours in a hospital. Seven stitches closed a gash over his blackened right eye. His head and neck still ache today, he said.
The latest attack began when a big man followed him when he got off the bus at the end of a 90-minute commute from a mountain casino where he works. “He said: ‘Give me five dollars.’ ”
Rizal refused, thinking “that’s hard-earned money,” After the man hit him, Rizal threw $40 from his pocket. Another man joined the assault. After they dragged him, he felt them taking his wallet and a pack that carried a certificate of appreciation from his employer.
Also on May 13, Rohit Khanal was assaulted in an attempted robbery on East Colfax Avenue at Billings Street — another case that police are investigating.
Similarly, Shiva Bhattarai, 31, was also hassled by three man on May 13 when he got off the bus after work.
The attacks aggravate a difficult situation for resettled Bhutanese. The government grants them only $450 a month for eight months to resettle, forcing most to live in rougher areas where police and caseworkers say street crime is more frequent.
Since most resettled Bhutanese work for long hours, it is always late when they get back to home.
“Our promise is not just to bring them here,” said Paul Stein, Colorado’s refugee coordinator, who is planning emergency meetings with the Bhutan immigrants to help them improve their personal safety. “Our promise is to help them integrate. We have to do a better job.”
May 21st, 2009 at 5:52 am
Headline of this news article is misleading. It sounds like only resettled refugees are targeted.Such incidents take place everyday in the States, it is the way of life. It could happen to anybody. We just need to be extra cautious because we might look like an easy prey as we appear to be new to the place. I hope henceforth the settlement worker will brief in detail about such incidents. Lets be extra cautious when we return home late at night from work. Good luck !!!
May 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
Sorry..you guys are uninvited guests in our country. I have heard that you guys tried to destroy the last Shangrila on earth, Bhutan. You guys are terrorists and will always remain one. Changing places will not change your true color.
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 am
Yes purna jee is right.Such cases happens everyday..mostly black africian americian do attacks but we have to be highly reactive..even if they have gun..we should not keep quiet…react..make a group to charge those folks..really africian americian dont work and do robbery,they eat the governments money…they tell that thier forefather have done much for another 500 years ,so they dont work..but the the hell their father did?they also robbed..same as they are doing…we should not keep quiet rather react ..you will kill him or be killed,who cares for dying?it is sure that you will die one day and why to fear??take courage and react guyss…iam in USA,i have such thought..kill or get killed..who cares for life..
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
[.....................]you are also boldly saying that President Obama do not work instead rob American’s money. Wow, kudos for your guts and yea, you do speak for the rest of your kinds.
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Justin: Changing your handle name does not make you an American. You are a member of the ruling coterie of Bhutan. Keep your comments to yourself. We are NOT uninvited guests in the US. We ARE invited. You might want to check how we ended up here.
Prakash: You shed a poor light on the Bhutanese refugees. You perhaps are also another instrument of the autocratic Bhutanese regime mongering hatred around and dressing us in soiled robes. No, all blacks are not bad and not all whites good. There are bad people everywhere as there are good people. As Purna says, we need to keep ourselves safe. Just as you can get mugged in Jaigaon, you can get mugged in New York. Be alert, be safe, and yes, seek justice. Call the cops if you are in distress. Don’t take the law into your own hands, like the government created militia did in Bhutan in the early 1990s when we were being hounded out of Bhutan just because we looked a little different than those who ran down from Tibet a few hundred years ago.
May 23rd, 2009 at 5:58 am
Anybody can guess that this Justin guy is a Drukpa pretending to be American. Hey !! you don’t need to disguise, who do you think you are fooling ??
Prakash too sounds like a troublr maker from Bhutan, I have reservation about posting such comments. Editor shouldn’t allow such racial and violent comments on the forum. Is there anything called editing ???
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
this is bad news to in all,when i read this news i feel in cry becz before the process cultural team of iom has said in all place there is security maintain but where is america security?
plz follow to iom office who has misleading to us in america.
thanx
May 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
prakash is ill minded person.You should not do so man.Keep quiet and call cops when u feel unsecure.
May 27th, 2009 at 4:25 am
i donot agree with Prkash gee! if you feel so then why didn’t u fought and died, for that would have worked for where you were born and you must have felt how much our parents sweated there in BHUTAN!it seems you are one of the fool to influence those ignorant bhutanese to fly.it seems IOM and US have fooled BHutanese people!