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‘Locked out’: Bhutan’s King is in Australia. But refugees from his country can’t meet him
Refugees from Australia's Lhotshampa community have sought an audience with visiting Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to demand the release of family members incarcerated in Bhutanese prisons as “political prisoners”.
Published 11 October 2024 3:02pm
Updated 11 October 2024 3:33pm
By Abhas Parajuli
Source: SBS
Image: As Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (L) arrived for his maiden visit to Australia the families of some political prisoners are pushing for their release. (AAP and images supplied by the families of Hasta Bahadur Rai, Kumar Gautam, Sun Man Gurung and Madhulal Budathoki.)
Key Points
- Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar is visiting several Australian cities from 10-18 October.
- Lhotshampa refugees are Bhutanese people of Nepali descent.
- While some community members are calling for an urgent resolution to alleged human rights violations in Bhutan, others urge ‘positive advocacy’.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is currently undertaking his maiden royal visit to Australia.
According to Bhutan's Embassy, the King will conduct community events in Sydney, Canberra and Perth.
While many Bhutanese community members will enjoy an audience with the monarch, Lhotshampa refugees say they have been denied such access.
A statement from the Royal Bhutanese Embassy on King Jigme Khesar's visit to Australia. Credit: Facebook/Royal Bhutanese Embassy
The country of about 777,000 people, which prides itself on using Gross National Happiness as its performance indicator, is one of only three carbon-negative countries in the world.
Diplomatic ties between Australia and Bhutan formally began in September 2002, and Bhutan opened an embassy in Canberra in 2022 — only the country's sixth globally.
Diplomatic ties between Australia and Bhutan formally began in September 2002, decades after the Bhutanese government was invited to attend the Colombo Plan meeting in Melbourne in 1962. Source: iStockphoto / sezer ozger/Getty Images/iStockphoto
In a national day address in December last year, the King said this project was to enable Bhutanese living overseas to return.
Bhutanese community in Australia
the country is home to nearly 28,000 Bhutan-born people.
As of July 2024, 13,211 Bhutanese international students were enrolled in Australian educational institutions, with almost 10,000 in Western Australia alone, .
But, for many of the 6,000-plus Lhotshampa refugees in Australia, the royal visit holds different significance compared to others in the Bhutanese community who are studying here or have migrated under the Skilled-Visa scheme.
— meaning ‘southern borderlands’ in Dzongkha, the Bhutanese language — is a term for people of Nepali origin displaced from southern Bhutan.
One of the three main ethnicities in Bhutan, they were forced into exile in the early 1990s and then sought refuge in Nepal.
After spending almost two decades in UNHCR-managed camps, many now call countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US home following a resettlement process that began in 2008.
Concern for relatives
Parsu Budathoki is one such refugee.
His half-brother Madhulal Budathoki has been in a Bhutanese jail for more than three decades.
The former member of the Royal Bhutan Army, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a ‘people’s movement’ when Parsu Budathoki was 13.
“My brother had come home for a break after feeling burnt out at work,” Budathoki claimed.
“It was during this time, some people from the community enticed him to join the Bhutan Peoples' Party (BPP) and be a commander of Chirang district for the people’s movement. That’s why he was targeted.”
A copy of the document showing charges laid against Madhulal Budathoki. Credit: Supplied by Pasru Budathoki
The BPP was involved in protest rallies in the south of the country in September and October 1990, before the then absolute monarch declared the party illegal, along with other parties formed at the same time.
Budathoki said he eventually learnt about the arrest of his half-brother from a local radio broadcast.
Bal Bahadur Budathoki and his wife Kamala. Credit: Supplied by Parsu Budathoki
"My ailing parents who are in Australia, have only one wish — to see Madhulal before they die," Budathoki said.
'Political prisoners' still in incarceration
Madhulal’s story is not exclusive within the Bhutanese refugee community in Australia.
, there are 34 political prisoners still in incarceration in Bhutan with limited access to their friends and families.
Hasta Bahadur Rai is another Lhotshampa detained for life.
His father Prem Bahadur Rai and sister Harimaya Rai now live in Queensland after arriving in Australia under a UNHCR-mediated third-country resettlement agreement.
Harimaya Rai said her brother was jailed for treason and being a revolutionary fighter.
Bhutanese refugees cycle past a police checkpost at the entrance to the Beldangi II Refugee Camp, some 300km south-east of Kathmandu on 7 October, 2009. Source: AFP / PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images
Prem Bahadur Rai said his family had “no complaints” about the King or Royal Family, but he would like to visit his homeland again and see his son released.
SBS Nepali spoke with two more Lhotshampa families who have members currently imprisoned in Bhutanese jails.
The Royal Bhutanese Embassy did not respond to SBS Nepali's request for comment.
Kumar Gautam's family is now divided between Canada and Australia, while he has been imprisoned in Bhutan since early 2008.
Mother Ran Maya Gautam (L), Kumar Gautam (M) and his father Bhagirath Gautam (R). Credit: Supplied by Dadhi Adhikari
“She looks lost with tears constantly in her eyes. She just wants to see her son,” Adhikari said.
If we were to meet the King, we would request him to provide amnesty to Kumar and all other political prisoners.Dadhi Adhikari
Ganga Gurung, the father of Sun Man Gurung, has a similar request to see his son freed.
All the families who spoke to SBS Nepali said they welcomed the current King’s “modernising approach”, but felt their human rights were being violated by them being denied entry to Bhutan.
By being denied entry to Bhutan, Lhotshampa refugees say their human rights are being violated. Credit: Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images
He said there were three demands from the community.
“There are political prisoners in Bhutanese jails. We want them to be released,” Guragain said.
A group of Bhutanese refugees protest in Kathmandu on 15 January, 1998. The demonstrators were protesting against the Bhutan government's action of distributing land left behind by the evicted Lhotshampa refugees. Source: AFP / DEVENDRA MAN SINGH/AFP via Getty Images
“And there are over 6,000 people still in Nepali (refugee) camps who would like to resettle.”
‘Locked out’
Guragain expressed disappointment that he cannot apply to be part of an audience with the King despite the Royal Bhutanese Embassy issuing an invitation to the Bhutanese diaspora.
He said thousands of refugees are “locked out” of the process.
“They have created an app via which one needs to register an expression of interest,” Guragain said.
"But one needs to scan (official) documents such as citizenship (certificate of Bhutan) first to be eligible for registration. We don’t have (Bhutanese) citizenship so we may not get an opportunity for the meet."
The Bhutan government's app which is required for requesting an audience with the monarch. Credit: SBS Nepali
Om Dhungel escaped persecution in Bhutan and has been a refugee advocate in Australia for decades.
The ‘’ author believes most Bhutanese people, including Lhotshampas, are generally “very loyal” to the King and admire how he is transforming the hermit kingdom.
But Dhungel said the King must solve “irritants” like the refugee matter, “otherwise, the human rights issues and the agenda of political prisoners will follow the government and the King wherever they go in the world.”.
Dhungel called for a solution for the 6,300 Lhotshampa refugees still in Nepali camps.
“From our recent surveys, about half have indicated that they will be willing to take on the offer of third-country resettlement if offered," he said.
Om Dhungel considers himself lucky to have a new life in Australia. Source: Supplied
Dhungel said the matter "should not be prolonged into an inter-generational issue".
Rather than passing the anger, hatred and sense of revenge to our new generation, we need to pass on our learnings. This is the message we want to convey to the King during his visit.Om Dhungel
Parsuram Sharma-Luital, a Melbourne-based community leader, said the King's visit was a chance for dialogue.
“While I cannot say that everyone from the refugee background will be happy with the King’s visit, what I can say is the majority of people are welcoming because he’s a persona with very dynamic leadership (qualities),” he said.
Since Bhutan and Australia have people-to-people connection, government-to-government connection and family-to-family connection, the visit is a good thing (to have happened).Parsuram Sharma-Luital
“There are different kinds of advocacy, human rights advocacy, protest advocacy. But with Bhutan, (there's) only one thing that’s going to work, positive diplomacy."
Personal connection
Sharma-Luital shared his own positive experience with the Bhutanese Royal Family.
“During the 1997 Dashain (a major Nepali festival), I had the opportunity to be blessed by the King. I was one of 35 Nepali (speakers) who were invited to the palace. The present King was seated on my right and I had an opportunity to have a luncheon and three hours with him. I again met him when I was working as a district agriculture officer,” he said.
The fact he (King Jigme Khesar) will be here during Dashain is wonderful.Parsuram Sharma-Luital
Sharma-Luital believes the Bhutanese government’s idea of a ‘mindfulness city’ will pave the way for reconciliation.
“They say timing is everything in politics, I believe that time will come for us to be able to visit our birthplace,” he said.
Parsuram Sharma-Luital shared his memories of the Bhutanese monarch. Credit: SBS Nepali
*SBS Nepali contacted the Royal Bhutanese Embassy for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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