Soft-loans could work

LETTERS

Paying some money as incentive to shift the squatters can never be a permanent

solution and use of force to drive them out can result into unexpected and undesirable social problems of many sorts. They too, on their part, must understand that they cannot occupy governmental or private lands illegally or with show of raw might. Therefore, the

so-called landless squatters of Nepal need to be given some land on some justified basis, criteria and conditions. One solution could be to identify genuine ones amongst them as those who do not have any land to build houses, and to avail them land for housing and

cultivation on soft-loans that they can pay back in instalments in 20 - 25 years to finally own the piece of land in the districts they have come from. I have seen such a program in a foreign country.

Ramesh Bdr. Shrestha, Lalitpur

Thoughts

This refers to the news report “Report shows how judge, attorney got sacked” (THT, May 5 Page 3). Warm welcome to THT which has thoroughly probed judicial corruptions. It is also an open secret that not only wives of the judges and the attorneys but the entire family members get involved in such corruptions and make millions of rupees. This way the real

victimized and the honest

people will be always pushed back and never get right justice. Someone has rightly said that when the root is rotten how can one expect good fruit? This is the case of the judicial system of Nepal. Even our top political leaders, including our PM,

ministers and the top ranking government officials have been involved in huge corruptions, and always end with clean chits.We need a drastic review of our decades old laws, to

provide the right and truthful judgment to the citizens.

Rajendra Gurubhacharya, Kathmandu

Recognise

This refers to your paper report “Activists seek clear policy on refugees” (THT, May 5, Page 3). The status of the Tibetans refugees in Nepal is a

long-standing issue that is often raised in Katmandu. Tibetans in Nepal are virtually stateless. The fact is that the Tibetans

residing in Nepal have no legal status. Nepalese law does not recognise the rights of refugees under international law.

Tibetans who arrived before 1989 can remain in Nepal with certain limited rights provided that they have refugee identity certificates.

Nepal had deported 18

Tibetan refugees back to

China on 31st May 2003, in what is being seen as a

departure from recent

government policy. Tibetan refugee officials in Kathmandu said it was the first such

deportation in recent years

and described it as outrageous. U.S. Under Secretary of State

for Political Affairs Wendy

Sherman recently urged

PM Bhattarai about Tibetan refugees’ demands for

documents that would entitle them to the rights. Nepal used to recognize fleeing Tibetans

as refugees, but it has not given papers to new migrants for a few years. We call on Nepal goverment to respect the rights of Tibetan refugees.

Nyima Gyalpo, Kathmandu