HRWF-Bhutan

Press Releases

Ref No. : 8/2/07
Date : 5th Feb, 2007
Press Release

The recent arrest of the Bhutanese refugee Journalist Mr. Santiram Acharya of Beldangi Camp by the autocratic Bhutanese government has drawn attention to Human Rights without Frontiers, Bhutan(HRWF/Bhutan).

As soon as the information was received on the 18th of January, HRWF/Bhutan formed an investigation team under the leadership of Mr. Kamal Rizal. This team made several investigations throughout eastern Nepal and some parts of the Indo-Bhutan border. As per the report of the investigation team, Mr Acharya has been found to be a Bhutanese refugee of the Belangi II Camp, Sector D in Eastern Nepal. Mr. Acharya has been working as a reporter for the local newspaper named "JAGARAN" for a year. He is also associated with the Association of Freedom Press Activist.

The HRWF/Bhutan fact finding mission confirmed that Mr. Acharya, along with three other Bhutanese refugees; Ram Magar, Amar Dahal and Deepesh Magar were arrested in Tashilakha, Chukka district, 16 KM North of Phuncholing (Indo-Bhutan border). The Bhutanese authority is claiming that Mr. Achrya was a member of the Bhutanese Communist Party (MLM) and who had come there to participate in terrorist activities. However, the BCP(MLM) denied this allegation issuing the statement that no such person existed within their party.

We are seriously concerned about the increasing number of inhumane activities, arbitrary arrests of press and rights activists inside Bhutan. Due to the total lack of press freedom and the absence of international human rights organizations the brutal Bhutanese royal regime is enjoying heinous crimes inside Bhutan.

We demand that the Government of Bhutan respect human rights, press freedom and reveal the whereabouts of the arrested people. We also appeal the International Community to pressurize the Bhutanese govt. to uphold these basic rights and freedoms.

Muna Sapkota
(General Secretary)
HRWF/Bhutan