The Bhutanese refugees: between verification, repatriation and royal realpolitik

Abstract

This paper brings out the plight of about one hundred thousand Nepali refugees from Bhutan who were forced to flee the country by the monarchical state in late 1980s and early 1990s.These refugees are, by and large, ignored by the world that is otherwise quite supportive of democratic movements like the one the refugees had launched in Bhutan in response to highly constrictive legislations relating to marriage and dress passed by the state since 1980s, including the census of the southern Bhutan with a clear view to de-nationalising the so-called ‘Lhotsampas’. The paper further shows how the negotiation between Bhutan and Nepal, the identification of the bonafide nationals of Bhutan in the refugee camps of southern Nepal, the terms and conditions for such identification and repatriation, etc. were all dictated by Bhutan ignoring the UNHCR, acquiesced by Nepal, and tacitly supported by India. Finally, the author examines the circumstances forcing Nepal to kowtow before Bhutan and questions the stand taken by India, the Asian superpower, which supported anti-establishment in Nepal and opposed anti-establishment in Bhutan.

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