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re bhutan, india, regional politics



Subject: re bhutan, india, regional politics re burma

this message is posted for those interested in following the developments 
of indian region politics, in the hope that it may increase understanding 
of the extreme problem growing in the region re refugees & india. it is a 
very serious problem now, and will get worse before it gets better. many 
burma supporters met the bhutanese leaders at the burma delhi conference 
in January...


Bhutanese marchers lathi charged
Kathmandu Post
KATHMANDU, March 20 - Bhutanese refugee peace marchers were lathi charged 
yesterday evening at 31 national highway while they were heading towards 
Bhutan, Siliguri, an Appeal Movement coordinating Council (AMCC) press 
release received here said today."The peace marchers were heavily beaten, 
kicked and dragged into the police van," the AMCC release said.AK Sharma, 
the deputy superintendent of Police of Jalpaigudi backed by a hundred 
Indian policemen lathicharged the 188 Bhutanese refugees on a peaceful 
appeal march to Bhutan. According to the AMCC press release, DSP Sharma 
himself dragged the marchers towards 
darker corners and beat them.
"He kicked Tara Gautam, leader of the marchers, on his face, dragged him 
to the van and banged his head hard on the door of the van before being 
thrust inside," the release said. Female marchers were slapped and thrown 
into the van.The 188 marchers are from among the 423 marchers released 
unconditionally by the Siliguri Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate Court 
on February 27-28, 1996. The Court had declared their detention illegal. 

They, as citizens of Bhutan have the right to freedom of movement in 
India. They had resumed the march to Bhutan at 11 AM yesterday morning 
but were stopped by the Jalpaiguri administration and demanded to arrest 
them under section 151 Cr P C. The marchers insisted that they should be 
allowed to proceed to their country, the release further said.Currently, 
there are 183 Bhutanese refugee Appeal Marchers detained in Siliguri.  
The bearing of the 183 is scheduled for March 25 at the SDJM, Siliguri.

India releases 344 Bhutanese peace Marchers
Kathmandu  Post
KATHMANDU, March 18 - The 344 Bhutanese refugee marchers detained at 
Bharampur central jail in 
West Bengal were produced before  the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate 
Court today, and were 
unconditionally released. They were arrested by the Indian police on 
February 26 at the Indo-Nepal border while on an appeal march to Bhutan. 
Their court hearing scheduled to take place on March 11 was postponed for 
Tuesday which to the court was due to the absence of escorts to take them 
to the court from Baharampur, 
distance 400 kms away.

Meanwhile, 150 Bhutaense refugee Appeal Marchers attempting, for the 
second time, to undertake peace 
March to Bhutan from Sillguri on March 15 and who were again stopped at 
Mahananda bridge (NH-31) in 
north Silliguri by Indian police were rearrested yesterday afternoon by 
the Indian police under Jalpaiguri 
district administration. They were produced before the Jalpaiguri court 
at 10 pm last night and taken  to the Jalpaiguri prison. No future dates 
were given for their next hearing. These marchers were arrested, this 
time, under section 151 of CrPC.These marchers were from among those 
arrested at Mechi bridge on January 17,a nd February 14 under section 144 
CrPC and who were subsequently released unconditionally by the court on 
February 27-28.