Country of Origin Background Somalia has been without a government since 1991, following the overthrow of President Siad Barre. After he left the country, warring factions of rival clan-based groups turned on each other, throwing the country into a civil war which has raged ever since. Interventions by the United Nations to stop the war and …
Country of origin background Burma gained independence from Great Britain in 1948. Following the 1962 coup d’état, the leadership shifted from democracy to a military junta, the fore-runner of the current ruling regime; the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). In 1990, despite multi-party legislative elections that resulted in the main opposition party, the National League …
Country of Origin Background India was partitioned in 1947, leading to the creation of two sovereign states: India and Pakistan. The Hindu population of Pakistan, numbering roughly three million, is largely concentrated in the southern province of Sindh. The majority of the population are Dalits, impoverished landless labourers. Although some minor clashes occurred from time to …
Country of origin background Bhutanese Refugees in India Ethnic Nepalese people started arriving in Bhutan in significant numbers in the early 20th century. By the 1980s they accounted for a quarter of the Bhutanese population. In the mid to late 1980s, the authorities began to view the growing numbers of Hindu Nepalese in Bhutan as a …
Country of origin background Sri Lankan Refugees in India For the past 20 years Sri Lanka has been embroiled in conflict between the Sri Lankan army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who are fighting for independence for the minority Tamil population. The conflict has left as many as 70,000 people dead and one …