Appeals on Bhutan's Issues (r)

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

The Buddhist Relief Mission has strong reservations about the issue of
Nepalese refugees from Bhutan.  

We would certainly regret seeing FBC and Free Burma activists caught up in
this very muddy issue, perhaps on the wrong side.  We do not want to belabor
the point by marshalling resources and background information for a debate
on it either, detracting from the issue of Burmese democracy.  Suffice it to
observe that the problems in Bhutan and Burma are very, very different.  The
one similarity we see is that in Burma we can everywhere witness the
destruction of precious, irreplacable indiginous cultures.

It has been observed that Tibet has been lost to the Chinese, while
Buddhists in Sikkim are now a distinct minority in their country.  Bhutan?  

It is certainly a very complicated issue.  Much more than this simplistic
appeal, "Daw Suu enjoyed Bhutanese hospitality, therefore climb on board,"
would suggest.  

We do not agree with Euronet Burma.  At this time we also feel compassion
for the King of Bhutan.

With metta,
Visakha and Ken




At 11:43 AM 5/1/97, you wrote:
>From: dawn star <cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Euro-Burmanet strongly endorses this appeal to the Bhutanese King and
>calls on all FBC spiders and Free Burma advocates to support the call
>for human rights in Bhutan. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once enjoyed the
>hospitality and goodness of the Bhutanese people, and knows of their
>natural kindness. Let us hope that the Free Burma movement may show
>similar solidarity and extend a worldwide call of support to freedom in
>Bhutan and Mr. Rizal now in his time of dire need and hunger fast.
>
>The Indian govt, which strongly influences Bhutanese foreign policy, a
>vitual proxy state of India, also pressures Nepal in a geopolitical
>tight spot with China: China's policy in Nepal has caused the worst
>repression of Tibetan refugees inside Nepal since the creation of
>democracy there in 1959 -year of the Chinese invasion. There is
>currently a widespread Bhutanese refugee crisis in Nepal, as well,
>adding to tensions with India. Needless to say, Nepal is currently
>committing grave violations of human rights, of both Tibetan and
>Bhutanese populations. There is a large section of Burmese-origin
>peoples now living in Nepal... A call for for human rights in Bhutan, is
>also a call for human rights in the region -China, India, Nepal, Bhutan,
>as well as Burma. Natually, if there were more respect for human
>rights,  there would be less refugees.
>
>
>Dawn Star, Paris
>EuroBurmanet 
>
>


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