The Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prison in Bhutan (GCRPPB), which has consistently advocated for the safe and timely release of all Bhutanese prisoners since its formation in 2019, successfully organised a peaceful protest in demand of the release of political prisoners in Bhutan at Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg State Capital Complex in the United States of America (USA) on 08 June 2024.

During the occasion, several prominent Bhutanese leaders based in the city former Bhutanese political prisoners Mr Biswanath Chhetri, senior Bhutanese Human Rights leader Mr Narad Adhikari, Bhutanese scholars Dr Narad Pokhrel and Mr Madhav Sharma, President of Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg Mr Tilak Niroula, Noted Bhutanese social activist Om Prakash Adhikari, Til Bahadur Gurung, and youth leaders Ashika Dhaurali, Bishal Upreti, Divya Chouhan and Ayushma Neopaney speaking on occasion highlighted the issues of Bhutanese Human Rights violations and the demanded the immediate and the unconditional release of all the Bhutanese political prisoners without further delay. They also appealed to the US government as well as the international community to pressurise Bhutan to respect the human rights of its citizens and release its political prisoners without further delay.

Prominent political leaders from the city, Benjamin Martin, Regional Director from Senator Bob Casey’s office, Tom Connolly, Swatara Township Commissioner and Commissioner Steel from Swatara Township supported the cause by participating in the protest. Commissioner Mr. Tom Connolly said in his speech that he supports the cause of the freedom of the Bhutanese political prisoners and is ready to do whatever he can to realise this goal.

After the failure of peaceful demonstrations to establish human rights and justice in Bhutan during the early 1990s, tens of thousands of Bhutanese citizens, mostly Nepali-speaking Bhutanese, were forcefully evicted. However, some of the activists were arrested and put on life sentences. Likewise, others were arrested when they were engaging in peaceful political activities such as distributing political pamphlets, sharing views and other political activities till 2008. Human Rights Watch, in its report, has verified 35 Bhutanese political prisoners in several prisons in Bhutan, mainly in Chemgang Central Prison in Thimphu and in Rabuna Army Prison in Wangdiphodang districts. The whereabouts of Several senior Human Rights activists, namely Mr Lok Nath Acharya, Mr Bom Bahadur Tiwari and Mr Kul Bahadur Basnet, who were arrested by the Bhutanese security forces, are still unknown.

“GCRPPB based in The Hague is determined to pursue this advocacy until every Bhutanese political prisoners are released and dignifiedly reunited with their family, and to that end it will not hesitate to organise such rallies in all the important cities of the world such as Washington DC, New York, Geneva, The Hague, Brussels and others,” said CM Niroula, the coordinator of GCRPPB on occasion.

GCRPPB’s youth coordinators Ashika Dhaurali, Bishal Upreti, Divya Chouhan and Ayushma Neopaney were unanimous in expressing their commitment to the justice of those political prisoners. They appealed to every youth of Bhutanese communities worldwide to join them in this peaceful fight against injustice in Bhutan. “We will not rest until every Bhutanese political prisoners are dignfiedly freed and rehabilated.” said the youth coordinators in their speeches.

More than 30 prominent figures of the Bhutanese Community in America, including local politicians, especially from Harrisburg City, participated in the peaceful protest.

Ram Karki
Global Coordinator
Global Campaign for the release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB)
The Hague, The Netherlands