Damak/ Kathmandu, March 9:

Bhutanese refugees living in camps in Jhapa and Morang are happy over the prospect of living in the United States. “Our condition will definitely improve if we reach a developed nation,” said a Bhutanese refugee, Mukti Gurung, in the Bhutanese refugee camp in Jhapa district.

He had dreamt of living in the US or in some other developed country. “Now my dream is going to come true soon,” he said, referring to the news on the proposal of setting up an overseas processing entity (OPE) to begin the formal process of resettlement of some 60,000 Bhutanese refugees in the US.

Refugee youths of the Jhapa and Morang districts-based seven camps also said they are happy to be citizens of any nation.

Bhutanese senior human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal resented the way the process was getting underway without any consultation with refugee leaders. “We waged a battle for so many years. It had got to do with human rights. I want to know what is the official view of Nepal in particular and SAARC in general,” Rizal said stressing the need to highlight the rights situation in Bhutan.