BAASA cancels annual settlement day event

Bhutanese Australian Association of South Australia (BAASA) has announced that it is not hosting the annual settlement day this year due to COVID 19 pandemic. 

In a notice, BAASA chairperson Lal Rai has said the twelfth annual settlement day can been cancelled until further notice. 

‘This difficult decision has been made by considering the highest priority of health and safety and wellbeing of community members and to comply with Australian Government’s restriction on public gatherings and maintaining social distance to avoid the possible transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,’ the statement issued by Rai said.

The annual settlement day is celebrated on second Saturday of May to mark the first arrival of Bhutanese for resettlement in Australia under Third Country Resettlement Programme in 2008.