US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU2415

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS AND PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PTER, PHUM, PGOV, NP, Bhutanese Refugees 
SUBJECT:  UNHCR REGIONAL DIRECTOR ON BHUTANESE REFUGEES, 
IDPS 
 
Classified By: DCM Elisabeth I. Millard, Reason 1.4 (b/d) 
 
1. (U) This is an action request please see para. 3. 
 
Bhutanese Refugees: Need Solution to Protracted Problem 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
2. (C) Janet Lim, UNHCR Director for the Bureau for Asia and 
the Pacific, briefed the diplomatic community in Nepal on 
November 9 about progress on Bhutanese refugees and gave an 
update on UNHCR's new engagement in IDPs.  She noted the 
urgency of finding a solution to the protracted problem of 
Bhutanese refugees given Nepal's deteriorating security 
situation, rising frustration among the refugees, and the 
possibility of Maoists infiltrating the camps.  She added, 
however, that she was encouraged by the donor community's 
renewed commitment to solve the problem.  She told the group 
that a "Resettlement Working Group" had formed in Geneva.  It 
had discussed a paper prepared by Denmark on the role of 
resettlement in forming a comprehensive solution, and had 
formed a smaller group to study the Danish paper and map out 
a plan of action.  She noted that the six countries in that 
smaller group, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, 
Canada and the U.S., planned to meet on the margins of the 
December 5 ICG meeting in Geneva. Lim plans to travel to 
Bhutan, at its invitation, after Nepal.  Although she will 
not visit India, she said that UNHCR has ongoing discussions 
about the Bhutanese refugees with the Indian Representative 
in Geneva (and she will meet with Indian Amb. Mukherjee in 
Kathmandu).  The Indian Representative had explained India's 
reluctance to get more involved in the issue by saying that 
it wanted to continue to balance its good relations with 
Bhutan and Nepal. 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Embassy Kathmandu would be grateful for a copy of 
the Danish working paper and an update on the discussions in 
Geneva. 
 
IDPS 
---- 
 
4. (C) Lim explained that, for the UN, UNHCR would now head 
up protection, camp management, and shelter for IDPs.  The UN 
planned to partner with other bilateral agencies, e.g., the 
Norwegian Refugee Council, to conduct surveys and a needs 
assessment.  Lim stressed that UNHCR would need additional 
contributions from donors for this specific area of work and 
appealed to the donors to let her know as soon as possible 
what assistance they could provide.  UNHCR could not divert 
resources away from refugees, and she wanted to get a sense 
of the support UNHCR would receive to work with IDPs in 
Nepal.  In addition to conducting initial field assessments, 
UNHCR planned to advise His Majesty's Government of Nepal 
(HMGN) as it continued to develop its IDP policy.  The UN 
country team in Nepal wanted to focus on the most vulnerable, 
children, women, and men (in that order) and recognized that 
there could not be a blanket approach.  Lim noted that it was 
"important not to derail 'coping mechanisms' in place," but 
the response would be tailored to the varying needs in 
different places. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
5. (C) HMGN has yet to issue a clear IDP policy; assistance 
from UNHCR could be most helpful in shaping the direction 
Nepal will take.  UNHCR could also provide a much needed 
leadership role in helping identify the parameters of the IDP 
problem and organizing a response. 
MORIARTY