Bhutanese refugee
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Bhutanese refugee are a group of people Nepalese in origin some of whom had been living in Southern Bhutan and many of whom now live in refugee camps in Nepal. Much of the details are debated. So, are presented under two different sections.
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[edit] Bhutan's Point of View
"Many of us left our home in southern Bhutan voluntarily fearing arrests and assaults,” said a refugee on condition of anonymity. “There were rumors in all southern Bhutan area bordering with Assam that people of Nepalese origins would be executed. When I met leaders of Nepalese origin, they showed me the way to flee Bhutan and go to Nepal."<Nepal News>
Immigration in Bhutan by Nepalese settlers began slowly towards the end of the 19th century. Immigrants who had been resident in Bhutan prior to 1958 were granted citizenship through ‘registration’ in 1958. However, illegal immigration continued unabated even after that. No further ‘amnesty’ was granted to immigrants after 1958.
The 1988 census attempted to distinguish the legal immigrants from the illegal settlers and this resulted in a number of ethnic Nepalese being asked to leave Bhutan. The deportees first settled in the Nepali dominated tea gardens in the Duars bordering India, but eventually found themselves settled in refugee camps in Eastern Nepal.
The census was implemented according to the 1985 Citizenship Act and has been heavily criticised for ‘retroactive’ application to immigrants who settled before the Act was passed. However, the 1985 Citizenship Act made no fundamental deviation from the 1958 Act. The census also made concerted effort to clearly distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. Legal immigrants remain in Bhutan and form as much as 15% of the total population.
The leaders of the refugees claim that all ethnic Nepalese were forcefully evicted and Nepalese culture and language have been suppressed in Bhutan.
The refugees, said to number anywhere from 85,000 to 125,000 remain in Nepal’s eastern districts of Jhapa and Morang. Exact figures are not verifiable as the refugee leaders and the government of Nepal have never permitted UNHCR or any other aid organization to conduct a proper census of the camps. Many of the refugees also do not live in the camps, many living in Kathmandu itself or have already emigrated to western countries.
[edit] Refugee Point of View
Bhutanese refugee (Lhotsampa) have been living in southern Bhutan since the late nineteenth century [1] who were expelled from Bhutan after the country carried out its first census in 1988 .[2] They currently reside in refugee camps in south-eastern Nepal.
[edit] Historical Background
The ethnic Nepalese population consisting of Kirat, Hindu, Tamang, Gurung etc. had been living in Southern Bhutan from nineteenth century. These people are called Lhotsampa or the Southern people by the Druks.
The problems started when in 1980s when the Government of Bhutan discovered in a census that the Druk population were slightly larger than the Lhotsampa population and that the population growth rate of Lhotsampa was greater than that of Druks. This was perceived as a threat by the autocratic Government. Hence, in 1985, the Government passed out a new Citizenship Act which prevented many of the Lhotsampa from being recognized as Bhutanese nationals. To reinforce this movement, the Government forced the use of Druk dress and etiquette and closed down Nepalese schools and curriculum.
People from Royal Advisory Council such as Tek Nath Rizal, a Lhotsampa, was also imprisoned. He later fled to Nepal to form "People's Forum for Human Rights".
Most of the refugees were taken up by Nepal which currently has about 103,000 Bhutanese refugees according to UNHCR.
[edit] Developments
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Michael Aris (1980). Bhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom. Vikas. ISBN 0-7069-1029-X.
- Leo E. Rose (1977). The Politics of Bhutan. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-0909-8.
- Sunanda K. Datta-Ray (1980). Smash and Grab: The Annexation of Sikkim.. Vikas. ISBN ISBN 0-7069-2509-2..
- "327 Killed in Bhutan Last Week", Japan Times, 1990-09-28, pp. 12–27. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
- "Anti-nationals in open revolt", Kuensel, 1990-09-29, pp. 1. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
- Rose, Leo E. (1993). "The Nepali Ethnic Community in the Northeast of the Subcontinent". Conference on "Democratization, Ethnicty and Development in South & Southeast Asia: 11-12.
- Poudel, Keshab. "Hoping Against Hope", Nepal News, 2006. Retrieved on 2006.
[edit] Notes
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| Geographical and geopolitical: Asia | South Asia | ||
| International organisations: United Nations | SAARC | Non-Aligned Movement | Group of 77 | ||
