Kathmandu, June 13:

Bhutan police said some 13 people belonging to Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) based in Jhapa were involved in activities to start an armed rebellion against the government.

Bhutan’s official media kuenselonline.com today said: “Probes of the 13 people who were held on May 25 in Samtse have revealed that they were involved in subversive activities to start an armed rebellion against the government.”

“Detonators and materials used for making IEDs were recovered from the group,” kuenselonline.com said. It said under a religious facade called the Sanskrit Sangathan, the group held several meets in the village and discussed plans to distribute forms of the Communist Party of Bhutan to recruit more members and collect donations to finance party activities.

Police said that their main aim was to nurture and expand the Communist Party cadres, so that they could set up camps inside Bhutan in collusion with the Maoists of Nepal and ultimately start an armed rebellion against the government. The Communist party of Bhutan is closely associated with the Maoist Party of Nepal. The Bhutan Tiger Force, the militant wing of the Communist Party of Bhutan, was responsible for planting explosives in Phuentsholing this year.

Return-home drive postponed

Jhapa: A Bhutanese political party has announced the postponement of the Bhutanese refugees’ repatriation drive for a month. Issuing a statement, the National Front for Democracy said it had been postponed for a month with effect from Wednesday.

The statement signed by party president Thinley Pinjore said: “Earlier, the repatriation campaign had been postponed till Friday (June 15) after a meeting that was held among Jhapa CDO, representatives of the eight political parties and Bhutanese Refugees’ Organisations and the Darjeeling district magistrate, in Panitanki of India on May 28. Now, it has been deferred for a month.” “The repatriation campaign has been postponed for a month as India’s remark on the issue was positive.” The statement also urged refugees to wait for a month. Earlier, the refugees forwarded a memorandum to Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh demanding either to provide Bhutanese refugees a passage to enter Bhutan via India or convene a meeting, comprising India, to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened on the Nepal-India border. — HNS