FROM Jesuit Refugee Service Asia/Pacific DATE 23 January 1996 REGARDING Bhutanese demonstrations-update 23 January 1996 Please distribute this report. 153 Bhutanese peace marchers and Indian human rights activists remain in detention in the Indian state of West Bengal, after attempting to march from Nepal to Bhutan, through India. The legality of their detention is still under question. An additional group of 300 marchers have set out, and should reach the Nepal/Indian border today, 23 January. Reports state than Indian security forces have gathered to meet them. Observers are again requesting that human rights monitors be present during the march. Concerns have arisen that various support groups within India may be using the refugees merely as political ammunition to advance their own agendas. Organizers are worried the purpose of the refugee march to bring about a resolution to the lingering problem of Bhutanese refugees, may be lost in other regional issues. These include existing tensions in the area between West Bengal and India, and the fear of a potential movement of ethnic Nepalese to create a greater Nepali nation. 150 refugee marchers were detained on January 17 in Siliguri, along with 16 Indian human rights supporters from the group Sobre (Support Organization of Bhutanese Refugees). All but 3 of the Sobre group have been released. Treatment of the refugees has been good, although 3 hae fallen ill, including one who is currently in the hospital. The peace marchers ostensibly are being held for violating IPC (Indian Penal Code) 144, which was implemented in anticipation of the marches, and prohibits public demonstrations. In an interesting twist, some reports indicate the public prosecutor is challenging the legality of holding the marchers. The marchers have all been given the option of release, if they sign a "Personal Recommendation Bond" that promises they will no longer violate the peace in India. Thus far they have refused to sign the document. The refugees set out on 14 January from camps in Nepal, with the goal of marching through India and into their home of Bhutan, where they would appeal to the Bhutanese king to resolve their situation. If the peace marchers had planned to reach their destination of Thimphu, in Bhutan, on Monday, Feb 5. Observers are concerned that this group is willing to have their own blood shed if that is required to raise awareness, and the group has vowed not to return to the Nepalese camps. Supporters inside India have also staged demonstrations in support of the marchers. The mood among Bhutanese refugees in camps in Nepal is said to be hopeful. They hope the demonstrations will continue to raie awareness to their plight, which is in its six year with little sign of a pending resolution. The refugees, totalling about 1/6 of the 600,000 people populating Bhutan, were forced to leave the country in the early 1990's after a "One Nation/ One People" policy effectively rendered them stateless. The international community has been thus far ineffective in resolving their plight. Bhutan has the largest percentage of its people living as refugees in the world.