Starting in the 1980s, Bhutan's minority population groups of Nepali speakers ("Lhotshampa"), in Southern Bhutan, were subjected to political persecution by the Bhutanese government as part of their Bhutanization (termed One Nation, One People) policy to exert cultural and political dominance of the majority Drukpa population. In 1977 followed by in 1985 Bhutan's government enacted legislations against the Lhotshampa ethnic minority to tighten citizenship criteria and introducing provisions for denationalization of Lhotshampas who held citizenship. The government enforced uniformity in religion, dress, and language to enforce preeminence of Drukpa culture as the national culture of the country. The Lhotshampas started demonstrations in protest of such discriminatory laws. Such political demonstrations were forcefully suppressed by Bhutanese security forces. Members of Bhutanese police and army imprisoned, tortured and raped many who were politically active in such demonstrations. Lhotshampas were arrested, their houses burned and then expelled from the country and their property confiscated without compensation.