# Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan

Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan refers to acts of violence to remove the Lhotshampa, or ethnic Nepalis, from Bhutan. Inter-ethnic tensions in Bhutan have resulted in the flight of many Lhotshampa to Nepal, their country of origin, many of whom have been expelled by the Bhutanese military. By 1996, over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees (40% of Bhutan's population at the time) were living in refugee camps in Nepal. The exact figure has been disputed, with recent investigations revealing a scheme in which 800 individuals fraudulently obtained refugee status with assistance from certain Nepali politicians and bureaucrats. Several high-profile individuals have been investigated and arrested in connection with the scheme, which involved facilitating fake refugee claims in exchange for millions of Rupees. The Bhutanese authorities also claim that the number of refugees has been rising since 1991, when there were only 300. UNHRC camps in eastern Nepal received about 6,000 refugees from Bhutan at the height of the conflict, but the number shot up in the following years, reaching over 100,000 by the end of 1993. The Bhutan government claimed that, with a generous daily allowance in refugee camps and poor process of verification, many stateless and landless people in the area joined the refugee bandwagon. Many have since resettled in Western countries.

## Background: Lhotshampa people

The Lhotshampa or Lhotsampa (Nepali: ल्होत्साम्पा; Tibetan: ལྷོ་མཚམས་པ་, Wylie: lho-mtshams-pa) population is a heterogeneous Bhutanese people of Nepalese descent. Mostly Hindu people of Nepalese origin began to settle in uninhabited areas in southern Bhutan in the 19th century. Ethnic Nepalese communities had been living in southern Bhutan since at least the 19th century, having migrated as laborers By the late 20th century, they made up a significant portion of Bhutan's population. The Bhutanese monarchy and ruling elite viewed their growing numbers and cultural distinctiveness as a potential threat to national unity. In the 1980s, Bhutan introduced strict citizenship laws, including the 1985 Citizenship Act, which required documentation proving residence before 1958—something many Lhotshampa lacked. The Lhotshampa people are native to southern Bhutan and are therefore commonly referred to as 'Southerners'. As of 2007, much of the Lhotshampa population has been relocated to Western countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other European countries after facing expulsion policies from the Bhutanese government. Today, the number of Lhotshampa in Nepal is significantly less than in the United States and other countries where they have relocated. No refugees have been allowed to return to Bhutan despite negotiations taking place.

## History

There have been mentions of settlers of Nepali origin as early as the 8th century. The population in the southern lowlands grew with the arrival of migrant laborers from Nepal around the turn of the twentieth century. Nepal, had a fast-growing population. Bhutan had a low population density, plenty of fertile land, and better social services with free education and medical services which attracted illegal immigrants. The immigrants of Nepali origin, who had already settled in Bhutan by 1958 were given full citizenship and were referred to by the local term "Lhotshampa", which meant southerner, which was used as a politically correct designated term for the legal settlers. The government of Bhutan made efforts to integrate Lhotshampas into the Bhutanese Community and to bring the communities closer together. Cash incentives for cross-cultural marriages (Nu.5000 was provided which was later increased to Nu.10,000) were provided to integrate immigrants into mainstream culture, along with the government's active integration program of both cultures. One example of a cross-cultural marriage is Ashi Pema Lhadon Wangchuck, the sister of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan, marriage to Dasho Andee Barun Gurung who was of Nepali descent. Along with that, they were admitted as civil servants and given representation in the National Assembly. Some of them went on to represent the Bhutanese Government overseas. Lhotsampa students were educated alongside Drukpa Schoolchildren and provided scholarships to study abroad in countries like the UK and Japan, the economic activities and infrastructure investment were mainly concentrated in the south. Special loans were provided and land was allotted to the Nepalese. Many young people of Nepali origin joined the civil service. The former King of Bhutan, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck on his travels to the south addressed in 1974 said, "the citizens of Southern Bhutan must never regard yourselves as aliens, because not only you but your forebears also were born and raised in Bhutan and such, all of you are Bhutanese." For further information, Bhutanese Citizenship Act 1958 The Southern Part of Bhutan however did not consist merely of bona fide citizens. The influx of Nepali Immigrants continued which led to pose a threat to the national security of the country. The cut-off point in the 1958 Citizenship Act acted as the basis for classifying illegal immigrants and lhotshampas.
Bhutan's population is 35% Lhotshampas.

## Expulsion and migration

During the 1980s, the Lhotshampa population constituted 25% of Bhutan's total population, with the migration of these citizens from Nepal to Bhutan first beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Between 1988 and 1993, thousands of others left the country due to ethnic and political oppression. In 1990, violent ethnic unrest and anti-government protests erupted in southern Bhutan, demanding greater democracy and respect for minority rights. Bhutanese government asserted that there are already representative political institutions in existence including a National Assembly and a National Advisory Council.
Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdue(DYT), was established in 1981 to formulate, approve and implement gewog and dzongkhag plan activities allowing the people living in the their respective districts to decide on the development priorities and empowering the decision-making at the grass roots level.
Similarly, The Gewog Yargay Tshogchung (GYT) was set up in 1991 to support local development by giving communities more control over decisions that affect them. It helps people plan and carry out projects that suit their needs, encourages practical solutions, and strengthens local governance for long-term growth.
That year, the Bhutan Peoples' Party, whose members are mostly Lhotshampa, launched a campaign of violence against the Bhutanese government. Amidst the protest, departing families in Geylegphug alleged to have looted or destroyed more than two dozen district facilities. Investigators found more than $80,000 in damages at schools, health units and other sites that had been stripped of equipment. The Lhotshampa faced a brutal response from the government, which included the raping of women and citizens being captured, jailed, and tortured. This included human rights activists, teachers, and political leaders. In the wake of this unrest and violence, thousands of people fled Bhutan, settling in Nepal's seven refugee camps or leaving to find work in India.
The Bhutan Citizenship Act of 1985 also played a large role in the displacement of the Lhotshampa. The act introduced new requirements on who could be designated as a Bhutanese citizen, and mainly affected ethnic Nepali who were largely Lhotshampa. The act declared that in order to be considered a citizen, one's parents must both be Bhutanese, which heavily affected the Lhotshampa population. The citizenship act of Bhutan also stated that a person who was permanently domiciled in Bhutan on or before December 31, 1958, and whose name is recorded in the census register maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs shall be recognized as a Bhutanese citizen by registration. The lhotshampas who were found to have settled in Bhutan before 1958 qualified and continued to live in Bhutan legally making up thirty five percent of the total population currently with lhotshampa individuals achieving the ministerial and administrative positions with each changing governments as of 2025. As of January 2010, 85,544 refugees remained in camps. In 2008, the US State Department estimated that as much as 35% of the population of Bhutan had been displaced as a result of these conflicts.
Prior to expulsion, the Lhotshampa had held major roles within the Bhutanese government, which included serving as bureaucrats, police officers, and in the army.
Although many Lhotshampa fled to India, they were met with very little support from the local Indian government, which allowed the Bhutanese army to commit larger acts of violence against the Lhotshampa. Nepal proved to be more receptive to the population and eventually engaged in discussions with Bhutan to try and repatriate the Lhotshampa starting in April 1993. However, these talks only resulted in the new categorization of Lhotshampa refugees. They were broken into four categories, consisting of Bhutanese who had been evicted, Bhutanese who had emigrated, Bhutanese with criminal records, and non-Bhutanese people. This was done as a tactic by Bhutan to prevent the Lhotshampa from re-entering the country by removing their citizenship rights, which included pressuring Lhotshampa to sign forms that stated that they had voluntarily left Bhutan.

## 21st century
### Resettlement outside Bhutan

Countries that have stated they are willing to grant asylum to Bhutanese refugees include the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Canada, Norway, and the United States. The United States specifically stated that it would be willing to allow up to 60,000 refugees to enter its borders, although it was also considering sending the migrants back to their home country. The UNHCR estimates that around 113,000 refugees resettled in these countries, although in 2018 the agency closed the resettlement program that it had in Nepal. This resulted in far fewer Bhutanese refugees being admitted into countries including the United States specifically. The United States alone resettled 84,819 refugees as of 2015. Although 2228 refugees were granted admission to the United States in 2018, only 19 were granted the same status in the first seven months of 2019.
Bhutanese refugees in the United States typically have difficulty resettling, with 65 percent living within 200 percent of the US federal poverty level. Half of the Bhutanese refugees within the United States are unemployed and half do not possess a high school degree.
The refugees have been very successful in the United States. In 2019, a Bhutanese refugee was elected to the city council in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Bhuwan Pyakurel became the first Nepali-Bhutanese elected official in the United States.

### Refugee camps

The refugee camps in Nepal possess substandard living conditions. A 1994 study found that the crude mortality rate in these camps was 1.15 deaths per year for every 10 people. Cholera, malaria, dysentery, and other diseases are also present within these camps.
After several rounds of Bilateral talks, the final steps towards repatriation and resettlement of the refugees was suspended in 2003 after violent attacks by the refugees against Bhutanese officials of the JVT (Joined Verification Team) in Jhapa. The JVT was working to verify the status of camp residents and explain the terms for either applying for Nepalese citizenship or repatriating to Bhutan for Sector A citizens (which referred to individuals who were genuine Bhutanese citizens eligible for repatriation to Bhutan).
The attack occurred on December 22, 2003, at a camp in Jhapa during a briefing session. Despite requests to conduct the briefing in seclusion by the JVT, it was held in a see-through bamboo hall with 12,000 refugees waiting outside. After the briefing, elderly residents left, the crowd outside turned violent and hurled in, attacking with stones and bamboo sticks, blocking escape routes, and shouting threats. The mob blocked their exit and began shouting threats, specifically stating that the Bhutanese officials "shouldn't be let out" and that they "should be burned alive."
The assault lasted 30-40 minutes, leaving one official unconscious and others injured. As they fled to their vehicles 75 meters away, the mob smashed windows and hurled stones inside, causing further injuries.

### Mental health

Death by suicide is nearly twice as common among Bhutanese refugees that resettle within the United States as it is for the general US population. In a sample of fifteen refugees, 46.7% of the sample population had known someone personally that had died as a result of suicide. This sample further reported that the largest factor contributing to suicides among Bhutanese refugees were "postmigration stressors", with other factors playing a part such as "social/familial discord" and "isolation, thwarted belongingness".