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Urgent! Bhutan/Rizal Hunger Strike



Information is scarce and irregular on Bhutan, but we put up files from
time to time on Bhutan and Rizal, now far into his fast. Please post
this message to all sites and people in solidarity of his freedom
struggle in Bhutan, a country where there are no human rights. We met
some of the Bhutan freedom leaders in India, guests of George Fernandez,
and they desperately need your kindest consideration. 

For the young Harvard-educated royal monarch, and boston celtics
fanatic, its not a very enlightened role to keep his people enslaved in
medieval poverty, disease and hardship.

Metta, 
Dawn Star
EuroBurmanet
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/bhutan/


driasosiandrigoing wrote:
> 
> Mr Rizal on Indefinite Fast in Bhutanese Prison
> --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Mr Tek Nath Rizal, a prisoner of conscience since 1990 and the
> strongest critic of Bhutanese regime, is on his 9th day of
> indefinite fasting today in his prison cell No. 20 in Chamgang, less
> than 10 kms east of Bhutanese capital Thimpu, according to Appeal
> Movement Coordinating Council (AMCC). He is determined not to break
> his fasting until the time he speaks to King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
> The indefinite fasting began on the evening of April 15 this year
> when Mr Rizal decalred to his 77 prison inmates and the prison
> officials that the authorities in the Government in Thimpu did not
> heed is repeated verbal and the written requests since 1989 that he
> be given an audience with his King to put forward his views and
> suggestions on the crisis engulfing the country. He said he would
> break his fast only after he discussed the Bhutan's national crisis
> with King Wangchuck.
> 
> On April 16, as reported, he had submitted a memorandum to the
> Suprintendent of Police, Changang, calling the attention of the
> authorities in Thimpu to make arrangement for him to receive an
> audience with the King and then he would break his fast. On April
> 18, the Chief of Police, Thimpu learnt to have visited Mr Rizal in
> his cell. The Police Chief understandably told Mr Rizal that it was
> against the Bhutanese prison rules to undertake activities like
> fasting and that he should discontinue the fasting without any
> delay. In addition it is also learnt that seven more Chamgang
> inmates had joined in the indefinite fast and several  others could
> be expected to express their solidarity to the imprisoned leader of
> the Bhutanese movement by joining the fast.
> 
> This information was brought by three persons who were released from
> Chamgang prison after more than 4 years on April 20, 1997 and are
> now in Jhapa to reunite with their family members. The family
> members were forcibly evicted from Bhutan in early 1990 and are
> presently residing in Khudanabari Camp for Bhutanese refugees in
> eastern Nepal.
> 
> Mr Rizal had sought asylum in Nepal in early 1989 as was abducted
> from his residence in Birtamod, Jhapa, on the wee hours of November
> 16, 1989 and flown to Bhutan. Since then he has been serving time in
> prison. After more than 3 years of arbitrary, incommunicado and
> solitary detention he was put on trial only in 1993, after the
> formation of 1992 National Security Act of Bhutan and given life
> imprisonment. Amnesty International's requst to observe the trial
> was not entertained.
> 
> Human Rights Activists Arrested
> --------------------------------------
> 
> Meanwhile in Kathmandu, police have arrested 56 human rights
> activists and Bhuanese refugees protesting in front of the Indian
> Embassy for "obstructing the road". The protesters were later
> released. But activists fear today's arrest is yet another cae of
> Nepalse government to please the Indian autorities, whom, again,
> they have accused of high-handedness on Bhutanese refugee issue. The
> protesters had planned to submit signature of thousands of people to
> the Indian Ambassador as part of their protest programme demanding
> immediate and unconditional release of mr Rongthong Kuenley Dorji, a
> pro-democracy leader currently in detention in India, but who faces
> chances of being extradited to Bhutan.