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【Film Info】The Refugees of Shangri-la
Bhutan's international reputation precedes it as the Himalayan Kingdom of "Gross National Happiness".
But the exiles of Bhutan will tell you a different story; one of cultural persecution, loss of a beloved home, a twenty-year-wait in refugee camps and finally, a new chance in a new country.
This is the story of our new neighbors, The Refugees of Shangri La.
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Sandwiched between the rising super giants of China and India and hailed by many as "the last Shangri-la", the isolated Kingdom of Bhutan has produced one of the highest numbers of refugees in the world in proportion to its population. Since 1991, over one sixth of Bhutan's people have sought asylum.
The vast majority of the refugees are called the Lhotshampa, meaning "southern dwellers". They are one of Bhutan's three main ethnic groups and were brought from modern-day Nepal in the late 1800's to protect Bhutan's uninhabited southern lands from British occupation. However, as their population grew over the years, their presence became more of a threat to the ruling elite than a national asset.
What happened next was evidently a mass expulsion of Lhotoshampas from their homes, causing over 107,000 Bhutanese to spend more than 20 years living in refugee camps established in Nepal by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Since 2008 a resettlement process has seen many thousands of
Bhutanese refugees from the camps in Nepal being re-settled primarily in the
USA and also in Canada, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands and
Norway.
All Photos: Stills from the Refugees of Shangri-La
"The Refugees of Shangri-la"
Directed by Doria Bramante
USA / 2013 / 57 min / Documentary
Japan Premiere
