Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan

Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan refers to a series of initiatives to remove Lhotshampa, or ethnic Nepalis, from Bhutan.

Inter-ethnic tensions escalated in Bhutan, resulting in the flight of many Lhotshampa from Bhutan to Nepal, many of them expelled by the Bhutanese military. By 1996, over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees were living in refugee camps in Nepal. Many have since been resettled in Western nations.[1]

Lhotsampha

The Lhotshampa or Lhotsampa(Nepali: ल्होत्साम्पा; Tibetan: ལྷོ་མཚམས་པ་, Wylie: lho-mtshams-pa ) population is a heterogeneous Bhutanese people of Nepalese descent. The Lhotshampa people are native to southern Bhutan, and are therefore commonly referred to as Southerners. As of 2007, most of the Lhotshampas, or Bhutanese refugees, have been relocated to third countries, such as the United States , Canada , Australia , the United Kingdom, and other European countries. Today, the number of Lhotshampa in Nepal is significantly less than in the United States and other countries where they are relocated. [2] The people of Nepalese origin began to settle in uninhabited areas in southern Bhutan in the 19th century. [3]

Expulsion

Since the late 1980s, more than 100,000 Lhotshampa have been forced out of Bhutan. They were accused by the authorities of being illegal aliens in the country. Between 1988 and 1993, thousands of others left the country due to ethnic and political oppression. [4] In 1990, violent ethnic unrest and anti-government protests erupted in southern Bhutan, demanding greater democracy and respect for minority rights. [4] That year, the Bhutan Peoples' Party, whose members are mostly Lhotshampa, launched a campaign of violence against the Bhutanese government. [4] In the wake of this unrest, thousands of people fled Bhutan. Most settled in Nepal's seven refugee camps (on 20 January 2010, 85,544 refugees remained in the camps) or went to work in India [5].

In 2008, the US State Department estimated that approximately 35% of the population of Bhutan was displaced as Lhotshampa are also considered citizens.[5]

See also

References
  1. Chronology for Lhotshampas in Bhutan
  2. Aris, Michael (1979). Bhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom. Aris & Phillips. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-85668-199-8.
  3. "Background and History: Settlement of the Southern Bhutanese". Bhutanese Refugees: The Story of a Forgotten People. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013.
  4. "Timeline: Bhutan". BBC News online. 5 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  5. "Bhutan (10/08)". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
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