Long March Home - Bhutan

October 2007
Why did India open fire on thousands of Bhutanese refugees, trying to cross peacefully into India on their way home? This investigation includes rare footage of the shooting.
Shouting "Bhutan is our homeland", thousands of refugees attempt to stream across the Nepal-India border to go home to Bhutan. But the area is soon flooded with Indian security guards and shots ring out. Two people are killed and hundreds wounded. These Hindu refugees are descendents from the Nepalese who settled in Bhutan centuries ago. But most of the population of Bhutan are Buddhist. In 1990, the King suddenly withdrew the Hindus' citizenship and forced them out. India allowed them safe passage to reach Nepal but now refuses to let them return to Bhutan. As one man laments: "We are living a life that is worse than that of animals".

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[kumarsa108]

@kamakaze2010 You dont know what you are talking about. The Nepali speaking minority of Bhutan is over 100 years old. The ploitics of arbitary lines making a country are nonsense. They wax and wane, they always have. A buddhist should understand the meaning of impermanance, but I guess you arent a Buddhist. ethnic groups have migrated and changed over hundreds of years, it is even true of Bhutan's dominant ethnic group.

[bkt1abcdef]

fuk 18 people

[Mr4sonam]

18 people who hit the dislike button are the beast wearing the human skin. They do not have sentiments and heart. These people believe that their happiness lies on others tears. in this 21s century these people are still in favor of ethnic cleansing and dictatorial government. How dare a country to make its own citizen in this situation? poor people.

[sunkeshri]

Bhutan king should follow UN convention on human rights of naturalisation by legal means as they had papers and had been living there for centuries. Had they been Nepali citizens why they would face real bullets to go to Bhutan, why they would live in a refugee camp in Beldangi? Noone is foolish enough to wait for decades in a camp for nothing, I think they were waiting to go to their lost homes in Bhutan. ....the world is not a safe place. God bless the good ones who helped these people.

[workhardt2]

@babloo1017 .. Buddhism, is actually an ancient Indian, Dharmic religion. Buddhism grew out as Buddha was unpleased by the teachings of Hinduism. Especially the hierarchy system. Thus buddhism is very close to Hinduism itself. Much like protestants and Catholics

[ThinkingGuy100]

@Banglasthan India is ruled by islamist minority

[kamakaze2010]

@Theavantgradeash You can state anything you like under your free country.For peace sake leave bhutan out of your business.Let it deal how the migrants are dealt like in your own free country.Bhutan will not be another pet country where the inhabitants are gradually outnumbered by the greedy conniving migrants from Nepal.When Nepal is slowly shredding to pieces with bihari migrants,let not its people suffer in their own country and seek refugee status under the name of bhutan in third country.

[nathanhacking]

Home is Where the Heart Is; a new charity set up to help displaced people around the world. The project which we are asking for peoples help for is to make a documentary about life in one of the Bhutanese refugee camps in order to spread awareness and raise funds to set up an arts center there for the refugees to use their cultural skills to earn money via an online store without being exploited.

[Banglasthan]

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, INDIA SHOULDN'T DO THAT, BECAUSE WE ALL ARE HINDU AND WE ARE IN ONE FAMILY. I AM BANGLADESHI HINDU, I FEEL SAD TO SEE THAT HAPPENED. WHATS WRONG WITH MY HINDUS. WE NEED TO BE STRONG AND BE UNITED AS ONE HINDU FAMILY.

[MrIndra1947]

Let us all get united to fight against the dicator..always people will...This is what I promise in my life..

If Bhutan does nt change Bhutan will be soon heroshima..Just watch Refugee will give new lesson to world.."Nothing is Impossible".Let us united..!!