Reflection on the Blog Process

I was a bit skeptical about creating a blog at the onset of this project because I was and am not an avid blog reader, but I also thought that it would an interesting process to become familiar with a newish and popular form of technology. From start to finish, creating this blog has been an amazing learning experience. I have acquired a tremendous amount of new knowledge about the country of Bhutan, the Bhutanese refugee experience in the camps in Nepal, and about the conflict that caused the refugee crisis. All of this information has of course made me a more informed person, but it has allowed me and will continue to allow me to share this knowledge with others, including my students. Additionally, I have a better understanding of the experiences my tutee may have had during her stay in the refugee camps. Becoming better acquainted with the experiences of others in the world and in one’s own community is an invaluable opportunity.

Persecution by the Pro-Bhutanese Government Supporters

While searching through PhotoVoice’s extensive web site, “Bhutanese Refugees: The Story of a Forgotten People,” I stumbled upon a section that includes testimonies from Bhutanese refugees about the persecution they experienced in Bhutan by the pro-Bhutanese government supporters. Prior to reading through this section, I had not heard or read about any of the various forms of persecution that the refugees endured prior to leaving Bhutan. There are nine testimonies from refugees of all different ages that document the persecution. I have included a testimony below from the web site. This particular account was written by a Bhutanese teacher. I would encourage all to check out this section of the web site, as it is particularly informative and sheds light on some of the human rights violations committed in Bhutan that have not been publicized by the media.

A teacher from Thimpu
"There was a pro-government rally in my area, but I did not attend so I was fired from my job. I was afraid to go home to southern Bhutan because all educated people were being arrested. But without my job, I had to leave.
I was arrested in July 1992. I was tied up and beaten by police all day. My mother came to the police station and appealed for me. They said they would release me if I signed a statement (Voluntary Migration Certificate). I signed in order to escape from prison. Then I had to flee.

This testimony was taken from PhotoVoice’s web site, “Bhutanese Refugees: The Story of a Forgotten People.”

Amazing Progress!

The refugee that I am tutoring through the resettlement organization, for which I am a volunteer, has made amazing progress with her English reading, writing, and speaking skills. She wrote her name from the memory for the first time since I began tutoring, and she was extremely proud of herself, as she should be. It was such an amazing moment to witness! It has been such a rewarding experience to tutor this woman, and it is wonderful to watch her become more comfortable with the English language. The tutoring sessions have also served as an excellent way for me to grow as a person, as it has been quite challenging to teach someone how to speak, read, and write English who has never been literate in her native language.

Occupations of the Lhotshampas

Since learning about the Bhutanese refugees and the conflict that has caused the refugee crisis, I was always under the impression that all Lhotshampas (population of Bhutanese forced out of the country) were strictly farmers in the southern part of the country. In doing some research recently, I discovered that not all Lhotshampas are farmers. However, a large number of Lhotshampas were landowners in Bhutan prior to their forced exile from the country, and many of these farmers cultivated crops such as oranges, cardamom, and ginger. Presently, this land previously occupied by the Lhotshampas has been taken over by other Bhutanese groups. Prior to their forced exile, 13% of all Lhotshampas held jobs in the agricultural sector, 13% served as homemakers or housekeepers, 40% were students enrolled in an educational program, and the remaining percentage served as educators, social workers, construction workers, engineers, civil employees, and artists. Researching information about the occupations of Lhotshampas prior to their forced exile from Bhutan makes me curious about the occupations of the Lhotshampas who have been resettled outside of Nepal…A potential topic for another blog post…?

Bhutanese Refugees Protest Bhutanese Art Exhibit

While conducting research about the lives of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and abroad, I stumbled upon an interesting article about a protest that took place in San Francisco last spring concerning a Bhutanese art exhibit at the Asian Arts Museum in the city. The protest was held in March 2009 by a group of Bhutanese refugees who have been resettled in the San Francisco area. The 20 protesters did not object to any of the pieces in the exhibit, which was entitled “The Gift from the Dragon: Sacred Arts,” but they did object to the positive publicity that Bhutan was receiving through the exhibit. Furthermore, the protesters felt that the exhibit was a way for the Bhutanese government to conceal the human rights violations that are being committed in the country; the refugee situation in Bhutan should be publicized instead of information about the art exhibit. The following statement was made by one of the protesters when asked about the museum visitors’ responses to the protest:

“The response from the visitors was very encouraging; especially they were surprised that such a thing of ethnic cleansing exists in the land of Gross National Happiness. If we continued such simple, honest and straightforward protests, without politicizing it, in a united manner, it is certain the day will come when the good citizens of the world will seek to know whose happiness is Gross National Happiness in Bhutan, and uncover the hidden agenda of the Bhutanese government against the Southern Bhutanese.”

The statement above is evidence that there are many Americans who are unaware of the conflict in Bhutan that has led to the forced exile of over one hundred thousand Lhotsampas. Since I began tutoring my student from Bhutan, I have found in talking with colleagues, friends, and family members that many people in our community are unaware of the political situation in Bhutan, and do not understand why Vermont is currently resettling refugees from Bhutan.

The Photograph was taken from the Bhutan News Service web site.

Was Bhutan a Colony Prior to Independence? Did It Exist As Part of An Empire?

While compiling information for this blog, I began to wonder about Bhutan’s history as a country…Was it ever part of the British Indian Empire or the Chinese empire, due to its placement between these two countries? Was it ever conquered by another country or has it always existed as the independent country of Bhutan? Interestingly enough, through my research, I discovered that Bhutan is one of the only countries in the world that has remained independent throughout its history. Thus, Bhutan has never been conquered or colonized, and it was never considered part of the Indian or the Chinese empire. I also found out that Bhutan has been in existence since the 1600s, and it was unified as one country by a Tibetan leader who sought refuge in Bhutan in 1616, and it was at this time that the first form of government was established. This first form of government was a dual form under which control of the country was shared by an administrative leader and a spiritual leader. However, in 1907, monarchy replaced this initial form of dual government, and the first King of Bhutan was crowned in this year. In the 1960s, the Bhutanese government implemented several initiatives to further develop the country, including expanding trade with India and expanding social services and education throughout the country. Bhutan officially became a member if the United Nations in 1971. So, there you have it, a brief history of Bhutan as a country!

Education in the Bhutanese Refugee Camps

The Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal have been in existence for almost twenty years, as the first temporary camps were established in 1990. One of the first formal systems established in the refugee camps was the education system. The refugee population played an integral in establishing the education system in the camps which is formally referred to as the English Medium Education Programme. The program is run almost entirely by Bhutanese refugees, although there are management officials on the national level who help to run the program. Most of the classes in the schools are taught in English, and the schools in the camps accommodate grades preschool through grade 10. Students in grades 11 and 12 and those students in college or university must go outside of the camp to attend school. It should be noted that there are few scholarships available for students attending university or college, and students are not able to attend higher education unless their family can fund the education.

All of the traditional subjects are offered through the schools, as well as some classes that are less traditional, such as Dzonkha, which is the national language of Bhutan. Teachers in the refugee camps are not paid a regular teacher’s salary, but instead receive an incentive salary which does not allow most individuals to support their families. There is a high-turnover rate for teachers in the schools as a result of the incentive salary. The enrollment rates at the camp schools have been quite high since they were established. In 2006, the number of students enrolled in the camp schools was 37, 403.

The Photograph was taken from the Bhutan News Service web site.

The Bhutanese Children’s Forum

One of my previous blogs was about a European-based charity called PhotoVoice that has been active in the Bhutanese refugee camps for many years. While reading through the website that PhotoVoice created to educate the public about the Bhutanese refugee situation, I stumbled upon a unique and promising project. The Bhutanese Children’s Forum was established in the refugee camps in 1996 by the organization, Save the Children to serve as a child rights program. In 1998, PhotoVoice began funding activities for the Forum in the camps, and all of the activities were and are still geared towards the arts. Some of the more recent projects and activities funded by PhotoVoice in the refugee camps are as follows: creation of a monthly newspaper, art courses, writing and journalism workshops, and a photography vocational training. All of the work produced by the children in the camps through these activities has been used by PhotoVoice to increase awareness all over the world about the Bhutanese refugees and the conflict that has caused the forced exile of over one hundred thousand individuals from Bhutan.

PhotoVoice has been involved with Children’s Forum for over ten years and their goals for funded activities are as follows:
• “To maximize the potential of young Bhutanese refugees to enhance their own lives and livelihoods.”
• “To assist in the effort to repatriate the Bhutanese refugees with dignity and honor.”
The creation of these goals marks the beginning of invaluable opportunities for development and growth among the population of Bhutanese children in the refugee camps, and the hope is that one day the children will be able to use the newly acquired skills and interests in the world outside of the refugee camps. The following statement was made by a young person who participated in activities organized by PhotoVoice through the forum, and her words are a testament to the life-altering experiences that she has because of the relationship between the forum and PhotoVoice:

‘I use my pictures to show Bhutanese people are kind, loyal and speak the truth. It is the only medium through which I can focus all my feelings about living a refugee life. Through this project I have come to understand the real objectives of taking photos. They can create awareness and co-operation amongst the refugee community and also with communities in other countries about our way of living and what it means to be a refugee.’

The Bhutanese Children’s Forum is now entirely funded by PhotoVoice and the UNHCR.

Please visit the following link to view a slideshow of Bhutanese children involved with the Children’s Forum and the work that has been produced through the various activities.

http://www.bhutaneserefugees.com/index1.php?id=13