Assam Arrests Bhutanese Druk National Congress Secretary

Editor: Alan Gray, NewsBlaze

The Human Rights Organization of Bhutan (HUROB) says it learned through Thursday’s Kathmandu Post and other Indian media that the general secretary of Druk National Congress Tenzin G Zangpo was arrested by Assam police.

The arrest of Tenzin and other senior leaders of the separatist Indian group, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland allegedly took place in Guwahati. The charges were related to serial blasts in Assam on 30th October 2008 that killed about 80 people.

The Human Rights Organization of Bhutan doesn not believe the allegations, saying “Tenzin has nothing to do with the people of Assam as every Bhutanese either in Bhutan or in exile maintain good relationship.”

The Human Rights Organization of Bhutan says the Royal Government of Bhutan is trying to extraditite Mr Tenzin from the state government of Assam as he is a political threat to Bhutan.

S.B. Subba is Chairman, Human Rights Organization of Bhutan says he is unaware of the reason for Tenzin visiting Assam, saying “He should be tried according to the Law of Assam and the central government. India government should protect his life and punish him if he is a culprit according to the law of the land and not hand over to the Bhutan government where he will be tortured and killed.”

Tenzin once worked as a Rural Credit Officer who embezzled Public money. In 1990 the Royal Government of Bhutan pardoned hundreds of such embezzlers, petty and die hard criminals conscripting them to be militiamen and sent them on a rampage mission to the south to harass, kill and evict the Lhotsampas.

HUROB says Tenzin is a product of Bhutan’s propaganda machinery, but Tenzin did not stay long. Perhaps his conscience bothered him during him deployment and he absconded and decided to join the opposition voice in exile.

This report was compiled from information received from the Human Rights Organization of Bhutan.

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