Bhutanese democratic struggle must continue
The democratic struggle for democracy in Bhutan must continue unanimously to achieve greater democracy and to lead to democratic government where people representatives must be elected to serve the concern of ordinary citizens of Bhutan.
The democratic form of government to be formed after 2008's first general election cannot be considered as legitimate democracy but the democracy for the king, yet another form of dictatorship. Bhutan may be undergoing towards a democratic progress to only delude the common Bhutanese citizens and international community.
Even after 2008 election, dominance of king will live on in political sphere of the country. Bhutanese regime will never permit free and fair political election and many basic rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of media and press, freedom of association, that are regarded as the basic infrastructure for progressive democracy. Bhutanese citizen will never enjoy statutory liberties and rights unless people's democracy in established.
Disbanding of recently formed three parties — Bhutan National Party, People's Democratic Party and Bhutan People's United Party – inside Bhutan, not allowing the participation of existing parties in exile in election and not willing to repatriate exiled Bhutanese is evident that King's direct rule will continue in the years to come.
"Bhutan regime has given democracy without having to fight for it. In any other country it would be the other way round," Tshering Tobgay has said recently. To remember the fact that it was not the gracious grant from the fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuk but the continued struggle that Bhutanese citizens made even from the exile.
If the king had been so generous, Bhutanese struggling for seventeen years for democratic transition in the country would have been repatriated with honor and dignity and allow participating in democratic reforms.
However, the Bhutan regime has been trying its best to stop the voice from exile. Many political prisoners are still held. Citizens in southern and eastern Bhutan demonstrated peaceful rallies demanding human rights and democracy about two decades back. Instead of giving justice and statutory rights, regime used armed forces to crash the emerging voices. Casualties were unnumbered, unnoticed for the international community was far behind from what was happening inside Bhutan. This led the people fled their homes due to fear of persecutions.
Democratic Bhutan must consider the demand and voice of the people. The political system has to embrace every Bhutanese and should have tolerance, a will to compromise, consensus-building, respect to all without discrimination in any form and repatriate Bhutanese in exile. Bhutan must ensure true democratic government by allowing the people to participate in decision-making and the decision should be truly to the will of the people.