Human rights in Bhutan

Human rights in Bhutan are those outlined in Article 7 of its Constitution.^[1] The Royal Government of Bhutan has affirmed its commitment to the "enjoyment of all human rights" as integral to the achievement of 'gross national happiness' (GNH); the unique principle which Bhutan strives for, as opposed to fiscally based measures such as GDP.^[2]

In practice, Bhutan's human rights record has received criticism for the treatment of the Lhotshampa people, many of whom became refugees in Nepal, as well as for failure to uphold freedom of religion.^[3]

In 2022, Freedom House rated Bhutan’s human rights at 61 out 100 (partly free).^[4]

^ Constitution of Bhutan Archived 2014-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Art 7.
^ Vishal Arora, "Bhutan's Human Rights Record Defies 'Happiness' Claim" (25 April 2014) The Diplomat.
^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2011 Human Rights Reports: Bhutan (United States Department of State, May 2012) at 1.
^ Freedom House, 2022 report

[:0-1] Constitution of Bhutan Archived 2014-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Art 7.

[:1-2] Vishal Arora, "Bhutan's Human Rights Record Defies 'Happiness' Claim" (25 April 2014) The Diplomat.

[3] Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2011 Human Rights Reports: Bhutan (United States Department of State, May 2012) at 1.

[4] Freedom House, 2022 report

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