1994 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

Bhutan is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Wangchuck dynasty, characterized by the absence of a written constitution, a bill of rights, or the right for citizens to change their government. The 1993 State Department report highlights a severe human rights crisis involving the ethnic Nepalese minority, where approximately 100,000 people—roughly 15% of the population—fled or were forcibly evicted due to "Bhutanization" policies and the 1985 Citizenship Act. Security forces were accused of widespread abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and rape, while cultural mandates required Drukpa dress and banned the Nepalese language in schools. Although the government authorized some prison visits by the ICRC and improved detention conditions, it continued to ban political parties and local human rights groups while strictly controlling all domestic media.Read the full edited Report here.