The Royal Government of Bhutan has announced plans for a major economic and development project in the southern part of the country, named the Gelephu Mindfulness City. The initiative, officially unveiled by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Dec. 17, 2023, aims to create a 1,000-square-kilometer special administrative region. While the government promotes the project as a hub for sustainable development, it has drawn attention from exiled Bhutanese communities who were displaced from the region in the early 1990s.
According to the King’s National Day address, the Gelephu Special Administration Region is intended to be an economic corridor connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia. The project’s vision outlines a city based on Bhutan’s “Gross National Happiness” philosophy, focusing on green technology, education, and health sectors. Official statements describe it as a carbon-negative development that will adhere to high standards of environmental sustainability and well-being. The government states the city will operate with autonomous laws and policies to attract foreign investment and create opportunities for Bhutanese citizens.
The project is located in and around the town of Gelephu, an area that was once home to a significant population of Lhotshampas, a community of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese. In the early 1990s, the Bhutanese government enacted policies that led to the displacement of approximately 100,000 Lhotshampas. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) subsequently established camps in eastern Nepal to house them. Since then, many have been resettled in third countries, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, while others remain in Nepal.
In response to the Mindfulness City announcement, several Lhotshampa advocacy organizations have issued statements. They have pointed out that the land designated for the new city was previously inhabited by their community. Human Rights Watch, in a January 2024 report, noted the “irony” of planning a “mindfulness city” on land whose inhabitants were forcibly expelled. The organization called on the Bhutanese government to address the long-standing issue of the displaced Lhotshampas, including their right to return and to citizenship.
Bhutanese refugee community leaders have also commented on the development. They have expressed concerns that the project proceeds without acknowledging the history of the Lhotshampa people in the region or addressing their calls for justice and repatriation.
The Government of Bhutan has characterized the events of the 1990s as the emigration of illegal immigrants and the voluntary departure of some citizens. To date, official government communications regarding the Gelephu project have not addressed the statements from refugee groups or the history of the Lhotshampa displacement from that specific area. The project remains a central part of Bhutan’s long-term economic strategy.
