The paper presents a comparative analysis of the issues facing Bhutanese and Tibetan refugees. It provides an overview of the context in which the two refugee groups became displaced and describes their presence in Nepal in terms of attributes such as size, distribution, area of origin and level of economic success or failure. The paper posits how there are more differences than similarities between the two refugee groups. Even though the number of Bhutanese refugees far exceeds that of Tibetan refugees, their concerns are not as widely known outside of South Asia. Similarly, the economic success of Tibetan refugees, particularly through their involvement in carpet business and promotion, lies in stark contrast to the poor economic conditions of the Bhutanese refugees. The paper attributes the relatively more successful economic integration of Tibetan refugees and their global exposure to the international political climate and the involvement of communist China in the Tibetan refugee crisis; the comparatively smaller size of Tibetan refugees; and the favourable demography of the country. In contrast, Nepal’s approach in handling the concerns of Bhutanese refugees has differed as is evident in their adoption of a repatriation policy, especially since the 1990s, with Nepal undergoing rapid population growth and poverty. The paper also discusses how the optimism of going back to the homeland may be more ‘emotional’ than ‘real’ for particularly second and third generation Tibetan refugees, many of whom would prefer to live where they are. The author refers to this scenario as an indication of what the future might hold for Bhutanese refugees.

Subedi, B.P. 2001. Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 28:1, 73-93.