In 1989, the king of Bhutan proclaimed its “One Nation, One People” policy. Under law, all citizens of Bhutan, regardless of cultural background or geographic location, were required to dress only in traditional Northern Bhutanese garb and only learn the Northern Bhutanese language of Dzongkha. In the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of ethnically Nepali Southern Bhutanese led public demonstrations against this policy, leading to participants being branded as anti-nationals. Thousands were imprisoned and tortured without formal charges or trial, and many more fled to refugee camps in India and Nepal, with UNHCR camps in Southeast Nepal hosting over 80,000 refugees at times. These individuals, formerly successful farmers and merchants, then lived in these makeshift camps through several unsuccessful repatriation negotiations between Nepal and Bhutan. After decades, they began to resettle in foreign lands, with many moving to the US and thousands settling in Philadelphia, where I have had the privilege of working with them.
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AuthorsAuthor: Pavitra Krishnamani Archives
March 2015
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