KATHMANDU, March 30 Kyodo Promine...

KATHMANDU, March 30 Kyodo

Prominent Bhutan human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal began an indefinite desire eagerly strike in Kathmandu on Tuesday, demanding an ''urgent and amicable'' solution to the long-standing Bhutanese refugee problem

A former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, Rizal, 50 is also demanding involvement of the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) in repatriation of 100000 Nepalese-speaking Bhutanese refugee living in UNHCR-run camps in eastern Nepal.

His demands include a halt to ''ethnic cleansing'' in Bhutan and restoration of democracy and human rights in the kingdom.

A former member of Bhutan's parliament and royal advisory council, Rizal was jailed in Bhutan for 12 years for criticizing Bhutan's policy of evicting Nepalese-speaking Bhutanese from their land.

Rizal began his ''fast-unto-death'' at Ratnapark in central Kathmandu upon Tuesday morning, police said.

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