Bhutan, wedged between China and India, has lost about one in six of its residents as a result of a cultural crackdown in 1991.
After years in exile in refugee camps, Bhutanese refugees are forging new lives in countries like Australia.
As Karen Ashford reports, many in the Bhutanese community in Adelaide took the unusual step of becoming citizens en masse.
Traditional costumes whirling in a blur of coloured sequins shine as brightly as the smiles on the faces of Australia newest citizens.
185 Bhutanese southerners have proudly taken the pledge to become Australians.
Man: "Today I can proudly say I am Australia, because I had no citizenship for the last 20, 23 years. I was stateless, homeless, now I can say I have a home to live and I am a proud Australian."
Woman: "From horror, horror to paradise. Really, we are from horror, horror to paradise now."
Man 2: "We are very happy we are in a great country called Australia and from today we are citizens of this great nation."
Once hailed as a Shangri-la, Bhutan's government launched new policies in 1991 which marginalised citizens of Nepalese heritage, known as Lhotshampers.
Policies forcing Lhotshampers to leave Bhutan generated one of the highest numbers of refugees in proportion to population in the world.
More than 110,000 Lhotshampers filled refugee camps in Nepal and India, until a UN deal in 2008 achieved a resettlement plan in seven nations including Australia.
After two decades of statelessness and persecution, their federal MP Mark Butler says they now have a place to call home.
"Being a citizen of Australia is a wonderful, wonderful privilege and I want to congratulate you on behalf of the Australian government and on behalf of the Adelaide community."
Then finally the moment they had been waiting for.
"I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people... whose democratic beliefs I share...whose rights and liberties I respect... and whose laws I will uphold and obey."
"Thank you, you may now be seated."
Refugees by the very nature of their status have stories of dispossession and tribulation.
Bhanu Adhikari's experience mirrors that of many in South Australia's Bhutanese refugee community of 1,500.
"During the late 1980s there was some political unrest. People protested against the 'one people, one nation' policy of the Bhutan government and so many other policies that people could not tolerate. So due to that political unrest people from southern Bhutan were evicted, imprisoned, tortured, raped. I was one of the persons in prison two years and tortured. When I was released from jail - I didn't know why I was imprisoned, it was arbitrary arrest - and when I was released from the prison all the schools were closed, my job was terminated, all my properties were confiscated and there was no means of living and when we approached the local government they said to leave the country."
Mr Adhikari is proud to be the first refugee to set foot in Adelaide under the UN resettlement scheme, and was the first to receive a citizenship certificate at the mass ceremony.
"I was the first person from the refugee camp to choose Australia, I'd heard a little about Australia it is a beautiful country, very peaceful country, a democratic country, so I chose Australia and a few other people followed me and now we are so many here."
His son, Bikram, is grateful for Australia's offer of shelter, and wants others to be given the same opportunity.
Although about 80,000 Bhutanese refugees have been accepted - mainly by the United States, but also Canada, New Zealand and others - there remain some 50,000 stateless, in refugee camps.
Bikram Adhikari thinks Australia should boost its intake of Bhutanese refugees.
"In terms of resettlement, the US initially committed to 60,000 people and they have now increased that to 80,000 people and Canada has increased that number to 10,000 people from 5,000, and so has every other resettlement country, which has increased that number. I think it's only Australia who is yet to increase that number and hopefully they will come up with something soon."
Indira Dulal was seven months pregnant when her husband was imprisoned and allegedly tortured.
Her son was born before her husband was released three months later, only to find his job had been terminated and their bank account seized.
The family was expelled from Bhutan and ended up living on the streets in India, penniless, and almost hopeless.
"We are in the footpath and my children are crying in my arms and they are nearly (dead), then I asked my husband if anyone will die, I will die too, so better to go to the river please. It's a big river close from here, so I ask him to go to the river together - it's too very hard to be alive."
But instead of the family taking their lives in the river, her husband's efforts saw them eventually make their way to a refugee camp in Nepal.
After 18 years of statelessness, Indira Dulal says she was daunted but amazed to be accepted into Australia, where she now volunteers four days a week at different community groups and charities, determined to contribute to her new home.
"I bow my head to the soil of Australia. I bow my head. We're all alive here, it's a peaceful country and I'm very, very excited."
The mass citizenship ceremony was the idea of community leader Ratan Gazmere.
"One of the main reasons is that we became refugees 20 years ago together, and we want to be a citizen of this country together as well."
Mr Gazmere says a big effort was needed to help all 185 pass the citizenship language and knowledge test, but the man who made it happen says nothing's too great a hurdle for those who've endured so much.
"The older people, language was a bit of an issue, so we had to help them with language issues, computer issues, and it took us time to train them so they can sit for the citizenship test, that was one of the biggest hurdles, other than that we are very happy today that we are no longer stateless."
With their citizenship certificates held aloft, these proud new Australians were quick to celebrate Aussie style:
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!"
