Bhutanese groups urge Nepal and Bhutan to address refugee crisis and release political prisoners
Beldangi, Nepal/The Hague, Netherlands — 22 September 2026
Two Bhutanese organisations have called on the governments of Nepal and Bhutan to resume talks aimed at finding a lasting solution to the long-running Bhutanese refugee crisis. They have also urged Bhutan to release political prisoners who have been held in detention for decades, as the prime ministers of Nepal and Bhutan attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The statement comes as Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is in New York from 22 to 28 September for the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week. He is leading Bhutan’s delegation and is scheduled to take part in high-level meetings and discussions during the week.
The Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) and the Bhutan Independent Peoples Forum (BIPF) issued a joint statement on Tuesday, calling for renewed dialogue between Nepal and Bhutan and the unconditional release of all remaining Bhutanese political prisoners.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is also travelling to New York on 22 September to lead Nepal’s delegation to the General Assembly. Shah is scheduled to address the General Debate on 24 September and meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres. His visit is scheduled to conclude on 26 September.
The two organisations said the presence of the Nepali and Bhutanese prime ministers in New York offers an opportunity to renew attention to issues that have remained unresolved for more than three decades.
Call for a durable solution to the refugee crisis
The organisations said the forced displacement of predominantly Nepali-speaking Bhutanese in the late 1980s and early 1990s resulted in the establishment of refugee camps in eastern Nepal.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, says that more than 113,500 Bhutanese refugees were resettled in eight countries between 2007 and 2016, as part of one of the world’s largest group resettlement programmes.
However, several thousand Bhutanese refugees remain in Nepal. Many have spent more than three decades away from Bhutan. GCRPPB and BIPF are calling on Nepal and Bhutan to resume meaningful bilateral talks and work towards a durable solution for those who remain.
For refugees who wish to return to Bhutan, the organisations said the process should be voluntary, safe and dignified, with appropriate arrangements for return and reintegration.
“After more than three decades, Bhutanese refugees deserve a genuine opportunity to return home if they wish to do so,” the organisations said.
Call for release of political prisoners
The joint statement also highlights the continued detention of Bhutanese political prisoners.
The release of Chatur Man Tamang and Hasta Bahadur Rai in June 2026 followed the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s consideration of their cases. Human Rights Watch reported that at least 28 Bhutanese political prisoners remained in detention following their release.
Human Rights Watch reiterated its call on 21 September for Bhutan to release all remaining political prisoners, saying that UN human rights experts had found the detention of Tamang and Rai to be contrary to international human rights standards.
GCRPPB and BIPF are calling on the Bhutanese government to release all remaining political prisoners unconditionally.
They also said those released should receive the necessary documentation and practical support to return to civilian life, resettle and rebuild their lives with dignity.
Appeal to both governments
The organisations are urging Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah to raise the concerns of Bhutanese refugees and political prisoners in Nepal’s engagement with Bhutan. They are also calling on Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay to take concrete steps towards voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation for Bhutanese refugees who wish to return, as well as the unconditional release of all remaining political prisoners.
The appeal comes as Nepal and Bhutan continue diplomatic engagement in New York. On 22 September, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal held talks with Prime Minister Tobgay on the margins of the UN General Assembly. According to Nepal News, the discussions included bilateral relations and cooperation on climate change and disaster mitigation.
The two Bhutanese organisations said the current UN gathering should be used as an opportunity to address the two long-standing issues. They called on the governments of Nepal and Bhutan to make meaningful progress towards a durable resolution of the Bhutanese refugee crisis and the unconditional release of all remaining Bhutanese political prisoners.
The statement was signed by Ram Karki, Founder and Global Coordinator of GCRPPB, The Hague, Netherlands, and DB Subba, General Secretary of BIPF, Beldangi, Jhapa, Nepal.