SR 69 — Recognize Bhutan responsibility for oppressing 120,000 citizens

As IntroducedReported by the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee 136th General Assembly Regular Session S.

69 2025-2026 Senator Reynolds ACosponsors: R E S O L U T I O N To recognize the Kingdom of Bhutan as responsible for the 1 oppression and forced eviction of more than 120,000 2 Bhutanese citizens during the late 1980s and 1990s.

Senators Schaffer, Johnson A R E S O L U T I O N To recognize the Kingdom of Bhutan as responsible for the 1 oppression and forced eviction of more than 120,000 2 Bhutanese citizens during the late 1980s and 1990s.

and 19 WHEREAS, The remaining Bhutanese refugees in Nepal continue 20 S.

69 Page 2 As IntroducedReported by the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee WHEREAS, The remaining Bhutanese refugees in Nepal continue 20 to endure severe challenges in accessing adequate health care, 21 quality education, and sustainable employment opportunities, 22 which hinders their ability to rebuild their lives with dignity 23 and security;

and 48 WHEREAS, the Kingdom of Bhutan is a close Indo-Pacific 49 partner of the United States and committed to upholding the 50 rules-basedS. international order;

now therefore be it 51 S.

69 Page 3 As IntroducedReported RESOLVED,by That we, the members of the Ohio Senate ofArmed theServices, 52Veterans 136thAffairs General Assembly, urge the Congress of the United States 53 to declare that the Royal Government of Bhutan is responsible 54 for the political, cultural, and ethnicPublic oppressionSafety ofCommittee Nepali-rules-based 55international speakingorder; Bhutanese, Sharchops, and other minorities in Bhutan 56 during the late 1980s and 1990s;

now therefore be it 51 RESOLVED, That we, the members of the Ohio Senate of the 52 136th General Assembly, urge the Congress of the United States 53 to declare that the Royal Government of Bhutan is responsible 54 for the political, cultural, and ethnic oppression of Nepali- 55 speaking Bhutanese, Sharchops, and other minorities in Bhutan 56 during the late 1980s and 1990s;

and be it further 75 RESOLVED, That we urge the Congress of the United States to 76 urge the Royal Government of Bhutan to engage in a comprehensive 77 peacebuilding and reconciliation process by establishing an 78 independent truth commission to investigate human rights 79 violations and abuses committed during the 1990s, publicly 80 disclose its findings, and implement its recommendations to 81 preventS. future oppression;

and be it further 82 S.

69 Page 4 As IntroducedReported RESOLVED,by Thatthe weSenate recognizeArmed thatServices, overVeterans 55,000Affairs Bhutaneseand 83Public AmericansSafety callCommittee Ohioprevent home,future contributingoppression; significantly to the 84 state's economic growth and cultural vibrancy.

and be it further 82 RESOLVED, That we recognize that over 55,000 Bhutanese 83 Americans call Ohio home, contributing significantly to the 84 state's economic growth and cultural vibrancy.