The Bhutan Conflict
What is now the country of Bhutan has been through a full scale set of changes throughout its history. It was birthed as the Buddhist home of the Dalai Lama. About 4 or 5 centuries ago this system of protecting the exiled Dalai Lama after his ejection from Tibet, was set in place by the Buddhist orders in the surrounding areas created a safe-haven for their Buddhist leadership. The lama that arrived from Tibet took on monarchal control as the dharma raja, or religious king.
"Succession to the spiritual office of dharma raja was dependent on what was considered a verifiable reincarnation of the deceased dharma raja, and this person was often discovered among the children of the ruling families. When the last dharma raja died in the 1930s, no reincarnation was found, and the practice and the office ceased to exist" (Britannica).
As the end of the age of dharma rajas ended, the lack of ruling system threw the country into a series of civil wars as opposing regional leaders attempted to seize power. When the British government began to influence the ruling order in Bhutan, they attempted to instate a monarchy. For a few decades the transition was slowly being accepted by the people and ruling families of Bhutan. The British set in order a framework of the monarchy, reflecting their own system, and then agreed to not interfere further into Bhutan's internal affairs. To protect their own colonial assets, Great Britain made a protection pact by linking Bhutan and India as allies and thus protecting them both from China. India was an older monarchial government that was aligned with Bhutan to aid the process. Despite the agreements between Bhutan and India, the neighboring country of Nepal never gained a civil relationship with either country. Many who were caught in the civil war conflicts throughout the history of Bhutan had gained some limited relief across the borders in Nepal. Slowly the refugee population grew and major disputes occurred when the ruling powers of Bhutan attempted to retrieve those who had escaped over the border. Each time those 'retrievals' occurred, further strain was put on the already fragile relationship between the two countries creating an unstable environment in both countries.
"Development policies showed success, as Bhutan’s economy experienced significant growth, but these positive measures were offset to some degree by Bhutan’s inability to negotiate a settlement with Nepal over refugees and by the resulting periodic ethnic violence in the country" (Britannica).
Entering into the 1990s and 2000s, the monarchy rulers of Bhutan realized that something needed to be altered. "Limited numbers of tourists were permitted to enter the country beginning in the 1970s, and in 1999 the government lifted its prohibitions on television broadcasting and allowed its citizens access to the Internet" (Britannica). The process of modernization had begun. The government opened up the borders, working progressively on government legislation. This created a way for many of the refugees that were residing across the border in Nepal enough clearance to escape the hold of Bhutan and pursue a better life.
"Succession to the spiritual office of dharma raja was dependent on what was considered a verifiable reincarnation of the deceased dharma raja, and this person was often discovered among the children of the ruling families. When the last dharma raja died in the 1930s, no reincarnation was found, and the practice and the office ceased to exist" (Britannica).
As the end of the age of dharma rajas ended, the lack of ruling system threw the country into a series of civil wars as opposing regional leaders attempted to seize power. When the British government began to influence the ruling order in Bhutan, they attempted to instate a monarchy. For a few decades the transition was slowly being accepted by the people and ruling families of Bhutan. The British set in order a framework of the monarchy, reflecting their own system, and then agreed to not interfere further into Bhutan's internal affairs. To protect their own colonial assets, Great Britain made a protection pact by linking Bhutan and India as allies and thus protecting them both from China. India was an older monarchial government that was aligned with Bhutan to aid the process. Despite the agreements between Bhutan and India, the neighboring country of Nepal never gained a civil relationship with either country. Many who were caught in the civil war conflicts throughout the history of Bhutan had gained some limited relief across the borders in Nepal. Slowly the refugee population grew and major disputes occurred when the ruling powers of Bhutan attempted to retrieve those who had escaped over the border. Each time those 'retrievals' occurred, further strain was put on the already fragile relationship between the two countries creating an unstable environment in both countries.
"Development policies showed success, as Bhutan’s economy experienced significant growth, but these positive measures were offset to some degree by Bhutan’s inability to negotiate a settlement with Nepal over refugees and by the resulting periodic ethnic violence in the country" (Britannica).
Entering into the 1990s and 2000s, the monarchy rulers of Bhutan realized that something needed to be altered. "Limited numbers of tourists were permitted to enter the country beginning in the 1970s, and in 1999 the government lifted its prohibitions on television broadcasting and allowed its citizens access to the Internet" (Britannica). The process of modernization had begun. The government opened up the borders
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