Times and again we are informed that the institution of the Zhabs-drung rule came to an end with the establishment of the dynastic rule in 1907. However, Jigs-med Dorji (1905-1931), born in Tawang region, came to be indentified with the last official incarnation of the Zhabs-drung. Charles-Bell mentions in his Confidential Report of Bhutan in […]
At a time when Japan’s economy was in a bubble stage, when the Japanese people were considering TV, washing machine, refrigerator as necessities at their homes, a Japanese youth, an agriculture expert was writing development plans in a remote village in Bhutan under a lamp-light lit from pine extract. The agricultural development in Bhutan and […]
No where in histories we see absolute rulers letting the media run freely. In a surprising attempt to keep regime’s direct influence in media sector, coinciding with his 30th birthday anniversary, the young oxford-graduated king of Bhutan, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, issued a royal kasho (charter/decree) formally establishing the Bhutan Media Foundation in the […]
Twelve years ago, eastern Bhutan was closed to trap and kill the rebels who raised voice against the autocratic regime in Thimphu. At least one hundred and fifty eastern Bhutanese were arrested and tortured to coerce them to confess being the supporters of Rongthong Kunley Dorji of Druk National Congress (DNC) and United Front for […]
Last September infants in Bhutan were immunized using new life saving ‘5 in 1’ vaccine named ‘Pentavalent’. Gross of children succumbed to the vaccine and others suffered from acute side effects. The samples of vaccines were sent to advance laboratories for test. The result took unexpectedly long time to come out. In the mean time, […]
The Fifth Monarch Jigme Kesar Namgyal Wangcghuck is called to India to ensure that every step in Thimphu is in tune with trumpet played from New Delhi. Two year after the revision of Indo Bhutan Treaty 1949, a year after the enthronement of the king, the declaration of a royal democracy, election in Bhutan and […]
Delegates of Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) exhibited the most infamous drama, ever in the history, yesterday in Geneva in front of the human rights watchers from all over the world. Stubborn with its ostrich behavior, an ostrich puts its head under sand when it has to hide while its body stands tall in desert; […]
In Bhutan, a Himalayan country famed for its focus on Gross National Happiness, the Nepalese minority has been forced out. Anna Husarska traveled to their refugee camps to document their plight Born in Bhutan, a Himalayan country of less than a million inhabitants, this woman will probably never again see her homeland; this photo was […]
Bhutan hosted the three day international conference on “Deepening and Sustaining democracy” (12-14 Oct), jointly organized by the Center for Bhutan studies and UNDP. It should be a matter of pride for the government of Bhutan to hold such magnanimous conference with a bit of experience on democracy. But for the SAARC region it is […]
The headlines in our newspaper and news sites these days are dominantly on the threats and murders in the camps. Despite having protection cell at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the security surveillance of the police, threats inside camps are on rise, and thus refugees are pushed to comply