Seeking Solutions and Restoring Human Rights A durable solution for the Biharis is now thirty years overdue. It is the time for the governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan, the UN, regional and donor governments, non-governmental agencies, and concerned individuals to identify and implement permanent solutions for this protracted problem that has prevented hundreds of thousands of individuals from improving their lives. After the November 2004 visit to Bangladesh, Refugees International had face-to-face meetings with diplomatic representatives of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi governments to urge them to work with each other and UNH CR to offer the possibility of resettlement and citizenship. At the same time, RI called on Bangladesh to work with international organizations and non-governmental organizations to ensure that each camp has enough basic amenities, including water, latrines, schools, and clinics, to accommodate its population. RI has worked very closely with UNH CR, including direct dialogue with officers of the Asia Bureau, at the headquarters in Geneva, and with field offices. This effort led to a visit to the Bihari camps by a senior representative from the Department of International Protection and discussion of a UN response. At the UNH CR office in Dhaka, a special protection officer is now in place. Also, RI ’s meeting with representatives from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, led to more substantial inclusion of the Bihari case in the 2005 Annual U.S. Human Rights Report. In February 2005, RI released “Lives on Hold: The Human Cost of Statelessness”, which included a focus on the Bihari. Afterwards, RI met with staff members of the House International Relations Committee (HIRC), the Judiciary Committee, and of the Congressional Refugee and Human Rights Caucuses, which prompted HIRC staff to raise the issue with State briefers for the Human Rights Report and to indicate Congress wanted more action by the Administration on this issue. This effort also led the Human Rights Caucus to hold the first-ever briefing on statelessness. Targeted visits with the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus led to agreement to raise RI ’s concerns during the Washington visit of the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh. We also addressed the issue with the Pakistan Caucus. In July 2005, Refugees International held a briefing for the honorable members of the 84th Session of the Human Rights Committee on the issue of statelessness as it relates to treatybodies, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Similarly, the issue was raised before the Human Dimension meeting of the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe in September. RI will continue to monitor the situation of the Biharis and track movement toward resolution of their situation. There remains much to be done on behalf of this population, and thebenefits of ending statelessness for the population are clear. Granting citizenship to Biharis in Bangladesh, and facilitating family reunification, relocation, and naturalization for those longing to live in Pakistan would enable an estimated 300,000 individuals to regain their lives and avail themselves of the fundamental right to a nationality and its concomitant rights. They will be able to participate in the political processes and have their own voice. Granting citizenship to the Biharis by Pakistan and Bangladesh will restore their rights and their dignity. |
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Citizens of Nowhere: Seeking Solutions and Restoring Human Rights
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Last summer, advocate Veronika Martin conducted a mission to Angola to assess the overall humanitarian situation in the context of the apparent end of the 30-year conflict.
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