Bhutan’s Untold Story: Political Prisoners in the Land of Happiness

Every year on December 17, Bhutan celebrates its National Day, commemorating the establishment of the monarchy in 1907. The day is officially presented as a symbol of unity, peace, and national pride, closely tied to Bhutan’s global image as a peaceful Himalayan kingdom guided by the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). While the celebrations highlight cultural heritage and stability, human rights advocates argue that the national narrative remains incomplete without addressing Bhutan’s unresolved legacy of repression and displacement.

Behind the international branding of happiness lies the history of the Lhotshampa, Nepali-speaking Bhutanese who predominantly lived in southern Bhutan. Recognized as citizens under the 1958 Citizenship Act, many Lhotshampa were later stripped of their nationality following stricter citizenship laws enacted in 1977 and 1985. A controversial nationwide census in 1988 reclassified thousands as “illegal immigrants,” despite generations of residence, laying the groundwork for systematic exclusion.

Tensions escalated in 1990, when peaceful demonstrations calling for democracy, cultural rights, and equal citizenship were met with force. International human rights organizations documented arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, forced confessions, and intimidation by state authorities. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that dissent was criminalized and entire communities were pressured to leave the country through coercion and fear.

As a result, more than 100,000 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese were forced to flee or expelled in the early 1990s, creating one of South Asia’s largest refugee crises. Most sought refuge in camps in eastern Nepal, where many lived for nearly two decades without citizenship, legal protection, or a right of return. Bilateral talks between Bhutan and Nepal failed, as Bhutan consistently denied responsibility and refused large-scale repatriation.

Although Bhutan adopted a constitution and held elections in 2008, rights groups say meaningful accountability never followed. Reports confirm that dozens of political prisoners, many of them ethnic Nepalis, remain incarcerated for speaking out against the government or demanding basic rights. Some have spent over 20 to 30 years in prison, convicted under broad national security laws that international observers say violate due process and freedom of expression.

Recent United Nations findings have renewed international concern. UN experts and global media have highlighted patterns of discriminatory detention and persecution targeting Nepali-speaking minorities. These reports conclude that Bhutan has failed to resolve the statelessness it created, while continuing to suppress voices calling for justice, transparency, and reform.

The crisis has taken a new global dimension in recent years. Former Bhutanese refugees deported from the United States have been left in legal limbo, rejected by Bhutan and lacking formal status elsewhere. These cases underscore how unresolved citizenship issues continue to impact lives decades after the initial expulsions, revealing the long-term consequences of Bhutan’s policies.

As Bhutan celebrates National Day, activists argue that Gross National Happiness cannot be credible without justice, accountability, and reparations. Calls continue for Bhutan to acknowledge the forced displacement of the Lhotshampa, release remaining political prisoners, restore citizenship or provide compensation, and allow independent investigations into past abuses. Without confronting this history, critics say, Bhutan’s image of harmony remains incomplete—celebrated on the surface, but contested by those still denied justice.