Should Nepal support to Bhutanese Regugees or Not? -------------------------- News ---------------------------------- Indian police- Bhutanese refugees clash at Nepal-India border Hundreds of Bhutanese refugees and Indian police clashed at Mechi bridge along the Nepal-India border on Wednesday as Indian authorities tried to prevent the refugees entering from their territory on the way to Bhutan. According to reports received from eastern town of Kakarbhitta, over 300 Bhutanese refugees ? half of them women-- from Beldangi refugee camp in eastern district of Jhapa were stopped by the Indian authorities as they tried to march into the Indian territory on their way to their homeland?Bhutan. The refugees then clashed with police and there were exchange of brickbats for a while, eyewitnesses said. An Indian journalist was injured during the skirmishes. Indian police have arrested Bhutanese rights activist S. B. Subba after the clashes. The refugees then staged sit-in at the Mechi bridge in protest of the Indian government?s decision not to allow them to return Bhutan through its territory. Interestingly, all the refugees had returned Nepal via Indian territory after they were forced out of their own country by the Bhutanese authorities over a decade ago. The latest attempt by the refugees ? coordinated by Bhutan-Gorkha National Liberation Front-- to return to their homeland came as Bhutanese King, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, is currently visiting New Delhi. Indian authorities have prevented similar peaceful march of Bhutanese refugees to their homeland via Indian territory in the past also. Experts on international law say India should provide access to Bhutanese refugees if they want to return to their homeland. India has refused to exert its influence upon the Dragon kingdom saying that the issue should be resolved by its two Himalayan neighbours. Nepal and Bhutan have held over a dozen rounds of ministerial level bilateral talks to resolve the refugee stalemate but to no avail. Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are languishing in the seven UNHCR-maintained refugee camps in eastern Nepal for the last 15 years. nepalnews.com by Aug 03 05 News from Associate Press Nepal.