Since 1990, Bhutanese citizens of Nepalese origin (known as Lhotsampas in Bhutan) have been evicted from their homes by the
Bhutanese government, which introduced a new law stripping them of citizenship and civil rights because of their Nepalese ancestry.More than 106,000 refugees have since been sheltered at seven camps in eastern Nepal. So far, several rounds of talks between the
governments of Nepal and Bhutan have failed to resolve the issue. With the recent violence, the refugees now demand they should be
repatriated to Bhutan or resettled in a third country.
According to some trishaw owners, demand for second-hand two-stroke trishaws has gone down following the announcement since
banks and leasing companies are hesitating to give loans for them. The ministry, however, says the decision will not affect already
imported trishaws, because the government has revoked an earlier decision to ban import of spare parts for two-stroke trishaws from
2011. Meanwhile, the attorney-general has informed the Supreme Court that the decision to ban the import of two-stroke
three-wheelers will be revised.
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