Kaman Monger has spent more than 80 per cent of his life without electricity, running water or free access to food.
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Mr Monger was born in the tiny country of Bhutan in 1991, near the beginning of a forced displacement campaign that was waged against his people by the government.
“We were young, so we could tolerate those sorts of things, but for our grandparents and parents it feels really hard for them to tolerate and resist those things,” he said.
“They were born there and had done lots of things back in Bhutan – constructed roads by their hands and other activities in the country and eventually they had to leave.”
You had to depend on the rations provided by aid organisations and you had to totally rely on a hand-to-mouth existence.
- Kaman monger
Mr Monger was a part of Bhutan’s ethnic Nepalese community – Lhotshampas – who were victims of the ethnic cleansing campaign under the One Nation, One People policy formulated by then-head of state Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Before attaining refugee status in 2014 in Australia, this tragedy forced Mr Monger to spend 22 years in a 100,000-person refugee camp in Nepal.
“You had to depend on the rations provided by aid organisations and you had to totally rely on a hand-to-mouth existence,” he recalled.
“The home was made of bamboo sticks, mud and some plastic. During the summer time your home could be broken down by excessive heat, and every time it is the rainy season your house would fill with lots of water.”
Mr Monger and his family are a part of the 5550 members of the Lhotshampa community to have been granted Australian humanitarian visas since 2007.
There are currently about 1500 in Launceston, with Mr Monger acting as the community’s secretary.
His migration to Australia has afforded him the opportunity to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Tasmania.
“[UTAS has] been commending me as a good trier and that I have been stepping forward by pursuing my career in the medical field here,” he said.
“Coming from a refugee background and studying a top course, even though English is my second or third language, is pretty good.”
However, the Lhotshampas have faced several issues in Launceston. Mr Monger said unemployment was rampant in the community, with few opportunities available to the migrants.
“The Migrant Resource Centre is really good, and also the people over here are really welcoming, but there aren’t really enough jobs for our people,” he explained.
“People have been trying their best to get a job, just to have some job in your life to support the family, but it’s really hard to find a part-time job and to study.”
Stefan Boscia
Stefan came to The Examiner after working as a copywriter at a digital media firm in Melbourne and interning at The Conversation. He is enthusiastic about reporting on business, local government and environmental issues. When he is not chained to his work desk, Stefan enjoys getting brunch, reading Saul Bellow novels and watching Carlton games.
Stefan came to The Examiner after working as a copywriter at a digital media firm in Melbourne and interning at The Conversation. He is enthusiastic about reporting on business, local government and environmental issues. When he is not chained to his work desk, Stefan enjoys getting brunch, reading Saul Bellow novels and watching Carlton games.
