Refugee and Geopolitics

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... iii

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iv

List of Diagrams .............................................................................................................. v

List of Table .................................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1

1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1

1.2. Statement of the research problem ............................................................................. 3

1.3. Research objectives ................................................................................................... 6

1.4. Methodology ............................................................................................................. 7

1.5. Scope ........................................................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 10

2. Review of literature .................................................................................................... 10

2.2. State interests and refugee protection ....................................................................... 12

2.3. Refugee regime in non-signatory States ................................................................... 15

2.4. The regional geopolitics and its influence on the refugees........................................ 17

CHAPTER 3: HISTORICAL, POLITICAL TREATMENT OF THE REFUGEES ........ 20

3. Historical, political treatment of the refugees .............................................................. 20

3.1. The Bhutanese refugees ........................................................................................... 21

3.1.1. The flight.............................................................................................................. 21

3.1.2. The trap ................................................................................................................ 23

3.1.3. The bilateral talks ................................................................................................. 24

3.2. The Tibetan refugees ............................................................................................... 27

3.2.1. The early exodus and the armed rebellion ............................................................. 27

3.2.2. The gentleman’s agreement .................................................................................. 29

3.2.3. Changed US policy and the impact of Tibetan refugees in Nepal .......................... 31

3.2.4. The Indian influence ............................................................................................. 33 viii

CHAPTER 4: LOCATING DURABLE SOLUTIONS ................................................... 36

4. Treatment of the refugees in terms of locating durable solutions ................................. 36

4.1. Durable solutions to the Bhutanese refugees ............................................................ 37

4.1.1. Locating resettlement as the ‘durable solution’ ..................................................... 37

4.1.2. The Indian influence ............................................................................................. 39

4.1.3. US influence in changing Nepal’s policy towards the Bhutanese refugees ............ 41

4.1.4. Information campaign as method of influencing resettlement ............................... 43

4.1.5. Concern for security in the refugee camps ............................................................ 45

4.2. Whither durable solution to the Tibetan refugees? ................................................... 48

4.2.1. Eligibility of Tibetan refugees for resettlement ..................................................... 49

4.2.2. The US role .......................................................................................................... 51

4.2.3. Indian role ............................................................................................................ 52

4.2.4. Comparing with the Bhutanese ............................................................................. 54

CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS .............................................................................................. 56

5. Findings ..................................................................................................................... 56

5.1. Nepal as passive recipient of external influence ....................................................... 56

5.2. US and India as key players in Nepal ....................................................................... 56

5.3. US-India collaboration on refugee issues in Nepal ................................................... 57

5.4. Persistent differential treatments to refugees ............................................................ 58

5.5. US foreign policy shift affected treatment of refugees ............................................. 60

5.6. US, Indian refugees policy operated on two levels ................................................... 60

5.7. Continued vitality of States’ self-interest as motivating factor ................................. 61

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 63

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 65

ANNEDIX 1 .................................................................................................................. 84

BIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................ 85