Kathmandu, November 3
About 3,000 Bhutanese, languishing in refugee camps in Nepal for nearly two decades, have become the first to accept the US government's offer to resettle in American cities and villages, defying pressure by a group that is seeking to return to Bhutan.

This was stated here today by Ellen Sauerbrey, the US assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, at the end of her four-day visit to Nepal to oversee the resettlement process that kicks off next week.

"About 3,000 Bhutanese refugees have already indicated their desire for resettlement," Saurbrey said, adding that some applicants have already been cleared.

"We expect to see the first plane-load of refugees in the US by the latter part of January," she said.

The official said that in the next 12 months, Washington hopes to interview about 15,000 refugees willing to accept the resettlement offer, following which up to 20,000 people would be making their way to the US each year.

After being evicted by the Bhutan government, Bhutanese of Nepali origin began a frantic exodus to Nepal in the 70s.

Now there are almost 108,000 refugees living in misery in seven camps in eastern Nepal, under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Though Nepal granted them asylum, they are not allowed to work or run businesses and remain abjectly dependant on donor countries.

Pressured by the West, Bhutan began reluctant repatriation talks with Nepal but abandoned them after 15 rounds.

With donors becoming weary and food and fuel supplies to the camps dwindling, the US, one of the major donors, stepped in with the resettlement offer.

Sauerbrey said that she would take this message with her to Bhutan, where she begins her three-day visit from Sunday.

On Wednesday, she would head for New Delhi to hold discussions with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Though India has refused to be drawn into the repatriation negotiations, saying it is a bilateral matter between Nepal and Bhutan, other governments, including Nepal, say that India has a very important role. — IANS

Sydney, November 3
A Sydney restaurateur, who falsified immigration documents to bring an Indian chef to Australia, has been ordered to serve a suspended jail sentence, reports Australian Associated Press.

Yogalingam Rasalingam, a father of two, who arrived in Australia from India in 1987, was ordered in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court today to be of good behaviour for the next year or be jailed for four months and incur a $5,000 fine.

However, the 44-year-old restaurateur was acquitted of exploiting the 24-year-old chef, Anbalagan Rajendran, who hails from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

Judge Anthony Puckeridge said, "In relation to (the) second charge, you are convicted and I sentence you to a period of imprisonment of four months to date from (Friday)." However, the judge immediately released Rasalingam on the condition that he be of good behaviour. He said: "I direct the offender enter into a reconnaissance to be of good behaviour for 12 months upon giving a surety of $5,000." A jury found Rasalingam, who runs three restaurants at Faulconbridge, Glenbrook and Richmond in New South Wales, guilty of dishonestly influencing a commonwealth public official by forging the signature of chef Anbalagan Rajendran on visa papers. During raids at the Star of India restaurant in western Sydney, immigration officers had found papers relating to Rajendran's visa application.

The papers, carrying the Indian chef's signature, showed he would be paid $40,000 a year to work a 38-hour week in Rasalingam's restaurants. Rajendran claims he had never seen the documents.

Earlier, Rajendran had told the court that he was put to work in the Blue Mountains restaurant almost immediately upon arriving in Sydney in June 2005. He worked 14 hours, six days a week and was paid only "$50 here, $20 there" and was warned that he would have to forfeit his first year's pay to refund the cost of his travel to Australia.

Rajendran also told the court that he was denied painkillers for a recent hernia operation, forced to sleep on the floor in the hallway and was told he could only bathe and keep his belongings in the backyard shed. Rasalingam denied the charges. — IANS

Tacoma (US), November 3
A gunman, who told emergency dispatchers to ‘follow the screams’ before wounding seven in the 2005 mall shooting rampage, was sentenced to more than 160 years in prison.

Dominick S Maldonado, 22, was convicted on October 2 of 15 charges, including attempt to murder, assault and kidnapping. He was sentenced yesterday to just over 163 years in prison, prosecutor Phil Sorensen said. Four people were taken hostage during the November 20, 2005, shooting spree that lasted for several hours at the Tacoma Mall here. The most seriously wounded victim was left partially paralysed.

Roberta Davis, who was shot in the leg, told Maldonado that he "shed innocent blood that day," The News Tribune of Tacoma reported.

Dominick said he had been treated unfairly by the justice system. — AP