Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Throughout the 1990s, the Bhutanese government expelled approximately 100,000 Bhutanese citizens of Nepalese descent who were Hindu people. In the wake of political and religious tensions, they were forced to move into refugee camps in Nepal. The Bhutanese Australian community are hardworking contributors to Australian society. They are grateful to Australia for affording them the opportunity to rebuild their lives after devastating displacement, as well as for the opportunity to provide for their families, contribute to society and secure a safer and more prosperous future for their children.

Although the experience of the expulsion lingers in their memories, they have pressed on with admirable fortitude in this land. In light of the imminent visit to Australia this week of His Majesty the King of Bhutan, I want to take this opportunity to humbly convey the earnest desire of members of the Bhutanese Australian community who simply seek to return as visitors to their homeland in a spirit of peace, reconciliation and goodwill.

I've no doubt that His Majesty the King is aware of these hopes and sentiments, and I've made some overtures to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to have those conveyed. These people are not seeking to have their citizenship restored; they simply hope to return as visitors and reconnect with the land that previous generations of their families lived on. Hopefully, humanitarian pathways can be opened in light of this royal visit so that these great Bhutanese Australians can return as visitors to their homeland.