Bhutanese Refugees
During the 1990s, our neighboring kingdom, Bhutan faced a serious problem. The problem was created by the government and its people.
The people, mainly the ones who were originally from Nepal, were treated badly by the government. They were forced to adopt Bhutanese way of life, including wearing clothes, social custom, language, etc.
They revolted against the decision made by the government and demanded human rights. The king of Bhutan considered it against the soil of the country and treated those people cruelly.
Many of the leaders were arrested and put into prison. The people could not resist the atrocities forced by the Bhutanese Government. So, they left their country and came to Nepal and began to live as refugees in several camps in eastern Terai.
It is a serious problem both for Bhutanese people as well as Nepal. Nepal itself is facing problems of over population. When more people are added then it cannot cope with the situation with its limited resources.
I'm a Dutch writer / filmer coming to Nepal several times this year to film and write about the refugees from Bhutan who's situation is unknown to most people in the west. The documentary will tell the story of a refugee who ended up in the Netherlands and about the cost of being a refugee.
Plan is to release the documentary and the accompanying novel in 2012 for international screening at film festivals and on television.
More info: http://www.theatmaproject.org
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