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Maoists Exporting Revolution to Bhutan

By Bahadur

Clear and positive proof has been discovered that Maoists are exporting their violent republican revolution to the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan from Nepal.

Bhutan cannot blame the Government of Nepal which is trying to crush the revolution; it must take up the issue with its patron India, which is sheltering the Nepalese revolutionaries. Bhutan itself is to blame for prolonging the resolution of the 15-year refugee problem.

India is sheltering the leadership of the Nepalese Maoists even as they have forged an alliance with the Naxalites across the border.

At least 50 disgruntled Bhutanese refugees from UNHCR-administered camps in Morang and Jhapa are undergoing training at a military camp in Ilam. This should prompt the UN to push for an early resolution of the refugee problem which has not been resolved for 15 years.

Refugee women demonstrated in front of the UN office this week calling for the intervention of the world body to settle the issue.

Bhutan should also be alert to the dangers for itself if the problem is not resolved soon. The camps are fertile recruiting centres for Maoists to export revolution to Bhutan. Three Bhutanese refugees who received military training from Maoists have been arrested in Nepal and India's Darjeeling district as they were attempting to break into Bhutan with sophisticated weapons provided by Maoists.

Bhutanese and India security officials have reinforced security along the Nepal-West Bengal border and the Indo-Bhutanese border to prevent the infiltration of Bhutanese Maoists into the dragon kingdom.