Damak, February 12:

The number of underground political parties and organisations being active in Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang has reached nine. Some of these parties have been terrorising refugees in the camps.

These parties include Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist), Bhutan Communist Party (Maoist), Bhutan Tigers Force, Cobra Bhuan Party, Bhutan Kopra Party, Black Cat, All Bhutan Revolutionary Peasants’ Association, All Bhutan Revolutionary Students’ Association and Bhutan Republican Youth Association.

Though these parties claim that they have launched people’s movement in Bhutan, Bhutanese refugees say some of these parties are creating terror in the camps.

Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist), which claims to be an organised party, recently divided into two factions — Birat and Bikalpa.

Surya, who leads the Bhutan Communist Party (Maoists), said the armed struggle in Bhutan is in the final phase now.

The Bhutan Tigers Force has stated that their major demand is the removal of security posts from refugee camps and said the party was against third country resettlement process.

The parties like Cobra Bhutan Party, Bhutan Kopra Party and Black Cat want pro-US resettlement refugees to leave the camps. Over 55 families have been displaced following such threats, refugees said.

The Revolutionary Peasants’ Association and the All Bhutan Revolutionary Students’ Association claim that they are the sister organisations of the Bhutan Communist Party (Maoist).

“We support the agitation of the Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist),”

central member of the Bhutan Republican Youth Association Bhaskar said.

“As the underground parties are creating terror, security has been tightened in the camps,” Armed Police Force DSP at Beldangi camp in Jhapa, Raj Kumar Lamichhane, said. They have also been distributing pamphlets threatening refugees in Sanischare camp.

“We are trying to identify the underground Bhutanese parties who are terrorising refugees,” Jhapa CDO Shankar Koirala said.