The 12-year-old Bhutanese refugee crisis is back to square one. The same issue that stumped talks in the 1990s is once again the hurdle in finding a compromise between Nepal and Bhutan. The contentious matter of the four refugee categories that the two Himalayan kingdoms agreed upon in 1993 is still the problem. This has resulted in the second postponement of the 15th joint ministerial meeting, and all the two sides can muster is an informal talk in the delegates' lounge in New York during the UN General Assembly this month.

After agreeing to categorise the refugees as bonafide Bhutanese, Bhutanese who have emigrated, Bhutanese who have committed crimes and non-Bhutanese, the two nations disagreed on terms of repatriation. Thimphu said they would take back only bonafide Bhutanese, Nepal argued Bhutan should take back all but the non-Bhutanese. With both sides unwilling to compromise, the talks were at a standstill until late 90s when they swept their differences under the carpet.

Now that the verification of 12,000 plus refugees has been done, neither Bhutan nor Nepal has reached a suitable agreement. Meanwhile, the refugees themselves have rejected the method and conditions attached to the verification, which showed only three percent as bonafide Bhutanese and more than 75 percent as Bhutanese who have emigrated. Nepal says it will bring up the matter during the 15th round of talks, whenever it takes place. Refugees worry this might begin another round of diplomatic stonewalling from Thimpu.