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.