After
the peaceful demonstration in 1990, the government introduced
a draconian rule requiring all Lhotshampa citizens to produce
a No Objection Certificates (NOCs) or Police Clearance Certificates
PCC from the police stating that none of their kith and kin
has been involved in the peaceful pro-human rights and pro-democratic
movement of September-October, 1990. Every Lhotshampa is required
to produce NOCs for getting admission of their children into
schools, for processing promotion in civil service, for issuing
passport, for seeking scholarship, for sitting in the civil
service examinations and applying for jobs in the government
service etc. The NOCs were also required 'for the release
of cheques to farmers for the sale of their cash crops' which
was controlled by the government. In fact this certificate
is denied to any person whose even a distant relative was
suspected of being represented in the peaceful procession
in September-October 1990. NOCs were virtually impossible
for Lhotshampas to obtain. The government declared all sympathisers
of pro-human rights movement and who opposed its racist and
discriminatory policies ant-national and not eligible for
NOCs. Other family members of those taking part in the peaceful
protest rallies, who had not participated in them were also
declared anti-national and evicted. NOCs were not issued to
the Lhotshampas.
Through
the introduction of this draconian rule. The government effectively
deprived several thousands Lhotshampa children, the right
to education by denying them admission to schools. Consequently,
these children have landed in refugee camps in Nepal. No civilised
society can bear the accusation of a six year child denied
the right to education, a penalty the child is made to pay
for the convictions, right or wrong, of older relatives.
The
sole intention of the Royal Government of Bhutan was to depopulate
southern Bhutan by evicting the Lhotshampa citizens. It is
the most powerful equipment in the possession of the government
of Bhutan which paved the way for the exodus of Lhotshampa
citizens of Bhutan as refugees. The rule is still in force.
Other ethnic groups are not required to produce the NOCs.
Continued:
Please click on
Forced
Eviction for continuity of the events leading to
exodus of Lhotshampas
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