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Sunday, August 24, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Malaysian airliner downed in Ukraine war zone, 295 dead
Breaking News:
Emergency workers at the crash site. Photograph: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters
A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has crashed in an area of eastern Ukraine where separatist rebels have been engaging Ukrainian military forces in recent weeks. Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, said the jet may have been shot down.
"We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine armed forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," Poroshenko said in a statement.
The field next to the tiny rural hamlet where MH17 plunged to the ground was a scene of charred earth and twisted metal. Locals were distressed to find body parts scattered around the scene. The body of what appeared to be a young woman lay about 500 metres from the centre of the crash, while a dismembered foot could be seen on the one road leading through the village.
A strong smell of aviation fuel hung in the air as pro-Russian separatist fighters attempted to secure the area. Ten fire engines remained on the scene after rushing there to extinguish the many blazes caused by the crash.
One local resident, Alexander, said he was working in the field a few hundred metres from its final resting place when he looked up. He feared the aircraft was going to crash on him.
The house in which another local, also named Alexander, and his relative, Olga, live in was just metres from the crash site. They said they thought the village was being bombed after hearing two or three loud bangs before the force of the impact threw them to the ground.
In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said Ukraine's air traffic control lost contact with flight MH17 at 2.15pm GMT, approximately 30 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border.
"Flight MH17, operated on a Boeing 777, departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm [Amsterdam time] and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur international airport at 6.10am [Malaysia time] the next day. The flight was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew." The flight also had a Dutch airline flight number from KLM, KL4103.
Refugee leaders demand asylum
Several of the Bhutanese refugee leaders who have taken initiation on the repatriation movement by refusing the third country resettlement programme have sought political asylum after receiving death threats.
The leaders claimed of being threatened by the same people involved in the murder of RK Budhathoki, founding chairperson of Bhutan Peoples Party (BPP), in 2001.

The perpetrators were then denied resettlement abroad owing to the charges levelled against them. Disallowed to resettle abroad, the perpetrators have ever since targeted Balram Poudel, the then general secretary and present chairperson of BPP, along with other leaders. “I have always received death threats over the telephone and e-mail,” Poudel said, adding that they would not have to live in constant fear had the government granted political asylum.
Among those receiving constant threats include Chairperson of Bhutan Rashtriya Mukti Morcha DB Sampang Rai, Goop Khila
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Military welcome to Modi in Bhutan,vows B2B ties.

Embarking on a two-day trip here to display "special and unique" status for Bhutan in India's foreign policy, Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the Supreme Court complex built by India as part of the developmental cooperation.
"The primary focus of both the meetings was the extensive development cooperation between the two countries and measures to enhance the economic ties," official sources said.
Modi described the bilateral relations as "B2B relations — Bharat to Bhutan relations," the sources said on his meeting with the Bhutanese king and prime minister.
Modi announced doubling of scholarships being provided to Bhutanese students in India which will now be worth Rs 2 crore.
Prime Minister Modi also promised to assist Bhutan in setting up a digital library which will provide access to Bhutanese youth to two million books and periodicals.
The fact that the Prime Minister chose Bhutan as his first foreign destination assumes significance since China has lately intensified efforts to woo it and establish full-fledged diplomatic ties with Thimphu.
Modi, accompanied by external affairs Sushma Swaraj, national security advisor Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Sujatha Singh,,,,,,
Friday, May 23, 2014
Bhutan's forgotten people.By Subina Shrestha.
In the early 1990s, Bhutanese of Nepali origin suddenly found themselves stripped of their citizenship. Bhutan enacted a royal decree of single national identity, forcing more than 100,000 ethnic Nepalese to leave. For the next two decades, they lived in refugee camps in eastern Nepal. Almost two decades later, Bhutan remains silent on their repatriation.
Filmmaker Subina Shrestha gives her view |
Now the refugee camps are emptying with the majority of people resettled in the west. But some want to stay -- clinging on to the hope of returning home, despite reports that Bhutan’s discriminatory policies have left a percentage of its population grossly unhappy.
Bhutan is known to many as the Last Shangri-la; the country of "Gross National Happiness". But behind the façade of a peaceful nation is a state that forcefully drove out a sixth of its population -- an act which has been described as a systematic "ethnic cleansing".
Sabitra Bishwa is one of more than 100,000 Lhotsampas or Bhutanese of Nepalese origin, who found themselves stateless. In the 1980s, Bhutan introduced the policy of "one nation, one people" and alienated the Lhotsampa culture. This was followed by a revision of citizenship laws. Many Lhotsampas found they did not qualify and in the early 1990s, many were forced to leave, reaching the border with India.
But India's government also rejected them, taking them to the border with Nepal. In the 22 years since, the refugees have been unable to return to Bhutan. Without India's support, the Nepalese government has been unable to influence Bhutan.
In the first of two special programmes,
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
90,000 exiled Bhutanese resettled
A major landmark was reached today when the 90,000th exiled Bhutanese departed from Nepal for resettlement, UNHCR said in a statement on Tuesday (20 May).

“I was very sad to leave my friends behind in the camp, but I am excited to meet my cousin soon,” said Suman, spending some quiet family time at the IOM transit centre in Kathmandu before leaving for the Tribhuvan International Airport. “I hope we will be able to go to the same school which will be fun.”
The resettlement of refugees from Bhutan began in 2007. To date, over 5,800 exiled Bhutanese have been resettled in several communities across Canada, including Charlottetown, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver. The other resettlement countries are Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The majority of refugees have been resettled in the United States – over 75,000 people.
The Chairperson of the Core Group of eight resettlement countries, British Ambassador to Nepal, Mr. Andy Sparkes said, “This is another important step towards resolving one of the most protracted refugee situations in Asia. This has been possible due to the strong support of the Government of Nepal and the excellent cooperation between the resettlement countries, UNHCR and IOM. The courage and resilience of the refugees has been a great motivation for us to continue our engagement with this refugee population.”
Of the some 27,000 refugees remaining in the camps, about 21,000 have already expressed an interest in resettlement and are expected to depart in the coming years.
A major exercise is underway in the camps in eastern Nepal in which refugees wishing to be considered for Group Resettlement are required to submit a Declaration of Interest (DOI) form to UNHCR before the deadline of 30 June 2014. After this date, no new DOI forms will be accepted and the Group Resettlement process will only continue for those who have formally submitted the DOI form to UNHCR before the deadline.
Source:Bhutan News Network
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