Manfred Ringhofer is a lone army in the Japanese battlefield against the gross human rights violations in Bhutan. Having good relations with Bhutan, Japan government and the Japanese people rarely believe about human rights violations in this tiny Himalayan kingdom. Manfred, as a university professor, organized several trips for university student to refugee camps in Nepal, wrote about it and spoken on several occasions. Yet, Japanese perspective on Bhutan’s tyranny has not changed. Manfred was in Nepal visit this week, escorting his daughter for a research, where he talked about his activism on Bhutanese refugee issue. Excerpts:
How do you evaluate Japan-Bhutan relations?
Both the countries are Buddhist and are bound by the religious sentiments. Bhutanese rulers, especially the royal family, have good relations with Japan’s emperor. Two governments also maintain good relations and Japan is one of the major donors for Bhutan’s development.
What is public perception in Japan regarding Bhutan and Bhutanese refugee issue?
Japanese rarely believe that Bhutanese rulers can evict people. There are very few people who would turn to us to hear our speeches on Bhutanese refugee cause. I brought several university students to refugee camps in Nepal to see the pathetic conditions and to inform Japan the real situation. However, their activities hardly had any impact on changing Japan’s perspective on Bhutanese refugee and human right violations in Bhutan.
What do you think might be the cause behind it?
Basically, it is due to deep sentiments attached in Buddhist fraternity. The most important is lack of publicity in Japanese media. Journalists in Japan fear writing news on Bhutanese refugees. Once in 1990, a journalist had written a story on eviction. As a result, no journalists from that particular media were entertained Bhutanese visa for several years. So today, even if Japanese journalists attend lecture on Bhutanese refugee issue, they do not write in fear that they might not be given Bhutanese visa.
Also, there is no person to speak on Bhutanese refugee issue in Japan. Ratan Gazmere went twice to speak on it (1994 and 2003). Many people from INGOs, NGOs and students listened and were shocked to hear such grave human rights violations. Besides that, there are no other activities being carried out to inform Japanese people about Bhutanese refugee issue.
What are the efforts made by AHURA Japan to inform Japanese about this cause?
We organized lectures several times. We are distributing reading materials to schools, libraries to let people know the real situation in Bhutan. I told you, we invited Ratan twice to Japan for speeches. I regularly write on this humanitarian problem and circulate them. I have recently prepared a booklet in Japanese language. But the problem is there is no one to listen/read us.
What kind of problems do you think is the Bhutanese refugee issue?
This is the problem related to democracy and human rights. Many say, it is an ethnic cleansing. I do not agree with that. Bhutanese rulers are against democracy and human rights. Events observed even after parliamentary polls have shown the real attitude of Bhutanese rulers against democracy, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of assembly and right to vote.
What’s your view on Gross National Happiness?
It is becoming a subject of debate around the world and people are accepting it without understanding its reality. GNH principles do not support multiculturalism. It rather intends to promote one religion – that of the ruling class. Bhutan being a multi-ethnic country, any views coming out of this country must support multiple views, multiple religions and multiple cultures. Principally, the theory is good but back in implementation phase the philosophy shows its bad reality. Only the rulers and high level officials are happy and I don’t think general people in Bhutan are happy.
In his recent speech in Japan, Bhutanese PM Jigmi Thinley said GNH is most appropriate for Japan. How do you think?
I think it does not suit Japanese society since it is a multicultural and multiethnic. Taking into consideration the Japanese attachment towards religion, I think GNH’s notion on building religion can suit the Japanese thoughts.
What do you think will be the results of third country resettlement?
People may prefer it to go. For younger generation, third country resettlement is a good prospect. For older generation, this is a shock. It would be very difficult for them to survive in a new society, new culture and new environment. People from older generation have deeply attached sentiments to die in the land they born. Resettlement has scattered this dream.
Excuse me, but this is a very strange reaction. It is unfortunate that this Mr. Manfred is trying to discredit the GNH based on his views of Bhutan. SO, what kind of democracy he is talking about, the one in USA, killing millions around the world and oppressing people indirectly through economic exploitation and directly through the religion of “democratic” values? This is utter nonsense, as probably this Mr. has not come to Bhutan to prove or disprove if the people are happy or not. He just “thinks” it is like that, and based on that guess work, from what he hears in Nepal (which might be true but nevertheless a point of view), he is bashing a whole country and its governmental culture, most probably because the western mind is not able to accept that some small Eastern nation would lead the world in terms of seeking the right form of progress. All agreed about violation of human rights, no imposition of religion, etc… But the fight for this does not justify at all discrediting the GNH or saying that the “democracy-mobocracy” on the other hand is better. So, he might be doing hard work in uncovering injustice, and that is very appreciable, but he must go much deeper into the matter before making generalizations and guess works like in this interview. Applying GNH in Japan would not be the same as in Bhutan anyway,as in any other country. It will have to be adjusted to the local realities, as it already happens in Brazil and Canada, so what is the talk about multi- this and that about? Human beings all seek happiness, and that is the unity behind the diversity. First he should understand this truth, than give his views about GNH and Bhutan or any other country applying it for the matter.
Hi ac.brc,
Truth is always bitter. Mr.Manfred is really been doing a good job. I appriciate his tireless effort of digging out the truth about the suffering of innocent Bhutanese citizens in the hands of a tyrrant. King married 4 womens and people paid Nu. 31.00 per house hold, the son of a women who later married to the king is made the king now, More than 1,20,000 citizens were made to leave the country at gun point and are living as refugees in different parts of the world, Tolal economy of the country is owned by the king and his relatives, Revenue collected is used for the intertainments and foreign visits by king’s, queens and prience and priences, Innocent bhutanese has to live as subjects and not citizens, Every day Royalies will have banquate in the palace and the poor innocent Bhutanese drink porridge and sleep with animals in a dark hut. Lion enjoy happiness when it kills a lamp, like wise the tyrant and his kins get happiness when citizens suffer. So, You (ac.brc)one of the kins from your perspective Killing, touture, rape, suppression, loot, deprivation are novel words for you but not to the world and to one who has a human heart. If ever there exist a devil kingdom ruled by evil spirit it is Bhutan. From your perspective it is GNH but from my perspective and Manfred perspective it is GVH( Gross Violation of Human Rights).
Mr. Manfred is wrong in saying that it is not a ethnic cleansing. Rest of the other statements he makes here seem pretty to the mark. I do not know what this mr ac.brc is taking about!!
I appreciate for Mr. Manfred work and what hes doing to make understand the world about our problem (Bhutanese refugees) and how unhuman the Bhutanse Monarch is?
ac.brc dear,
If we have to talk about democracy, certainly the US is far better off in its principles if not perfect than Bhutan. The simplest and seeming reason is, while Bhutan hounds out its own citizen out of desperation for they do not resemble the Tibetan- look or have another culture and tradition than the Tibetian – Drukpa culture, the US whole heartedly invites and welcomes different ethnicities and culture not only to save and guard them but let flourish and help add more colour and essence to this beautiful country called America. Let me not give other reason for they are just obvious……
Forget about GNH, Bhutan is no where near Happiness. The world is being taken for a ride and the truth will finally come out. We just have to wait and see.
Hi,
I appreciate Mr. Manfred’s view regarding Bhutan..Its a bitter truth that he noted …..
I would like to request administrator to track the IP address of ac.brc. because the entire human beings of the world should know the anti-elements of the democratic movement. I request ac.brc. to visit report of the Norwegian Refugee Council on Bhutan published on 2008. The report is more than enough to reflect the GNH mask of autocratic government of Bhutan. Even in the front page of the report it mentioned that “BHUTAN: LAND OF HAPPINESS FOR THE SELECTED”. It means ac.brc. is the selected persons who is enjoying the gross national happiness of Bhutan.
Hi Every body
i really appreciate Mr. Manfred’s view regarding the depth of the reality based on Bhutanese Refugee issue. I appreciate the way he said regarding Bhutan , yes it is true, i know Manfred has really understood what Bhutan has been doing.
Dear Manfred i wish still you can try your best to advocate regarding the pathetic situation of the Bhutanese Refugee in eastern Nepal, to number of Japanese so that bitter truth can be understood by the government of Japan and it’s people.
Bhutan,Japanese, Burma srilanka, coambodia laos,some what even Thailand ….all these countries ruled by Buddist Philoshophy……where is the democracy and Human rights in these countries, They practise dictatorship…..there is no words call HR and democracy in Buddist directory….so be it….They will give up….Buddhism will only to live with Buddist not with other religion….it is autocrat religion….it has become dangereous than Moslem.
i must ask refugees to ask their parents about how did they tried to kill people with khukharis. As for that man Manfred, he is just one lone mad dog trying to be famous because his professorship doesn’t give fame he wanted.
I am here in Bhutan for about a years and i found is written above to be correct.
The GNH is Just Blunder and the People here are very Lazy.
They dont want to Work but eat the money given by other people from other country Like Japan.
It is time the whole world should know teh fact and to stop this.
Thank you
Guy like Sonam who doesn’t believe GNH will think that he can vandalize chorten and feed his rotound belly.
Manfred Ringofer comes across as a shallow, ignorant bleeding heart liberal who has no clue about regional geopolitics in South Asia. He thinks the “refugees” are living in hell when they have been leading better lives than 75% of the Nepalis. He does not know that that the only way out of desperation for the majority of rural Nepalese is to join the Gurkha army or pay thru their nose to get labourers jobs in the Gulf or end up trafficked to the brothels of India, or join the Maoists. Bhutan is the victim here, not the people in the camps. They were simply invited back to their original country by Koirala when they were exposed as illegal immigrants in Bhutan and requested to go back. The Japanese are among most civilized and knowledeable people in the world. Unlike him, they know the facts about Bhutan and the pretenders in the camps.
Dear Kuen CHo Sum,
At the end, whether Truth should prevail or not, I believe in tandem with Buddhist philospohy, that the world must know the Truth regarding Bhutan and its atrocity against Lhotsampas (Bhutanese citizens of ethnic Nepali origin) As an ethnic Nepali Bhutanese, a loyal citizen sponsored and educated by the Royal Family and the RGOB, I have no vested interest in telling one side story. But the facts and realities as a victim and spectator of the gross human rights abuse under the “One Nation, One People” policy of the RGOB, I must say with “Kuen Cho Sum” (3 jewels of Buddhist philosophy) in my heart and “Nam may, Sa may” (beyond the earth and the sky) in my mind, that:
1. Which GNH government would tie up the ignorant village people and beat them in the public?
2. Which GNH government would seize the home, propery, land and evict its own citizens just because they are not buddhist and they do not look like them?
3.which GNH government would impose its dress, culture on other ethnic groups and openly discriminate them at every stage of life from kidnergarten to civil service?
4. Which GNH government would punish the children for the alleged crime of their parents?
5. The world, including Japan must be able to see beyong the beautiful mountains, brooks and hills of Bhutan and find small helpless, hopeless, and voiceless people at the mercy of the government.Don’t be blinded by the unfurling prayer flags…just list to its chimes, the blowing winds and the grass bending with it.
6. The world must be able to see behind the “cultural curtain”, the arts, religion, dazzling/mysterious culture and find what is being covered and with what intentions?
If One of the teachings of Lord Buddha is “Do Not Tell Lies”, then what is the sanctity of the great Buddhist religion in Bhutan, that I grew up with? And what Gross National Happiness (GNH)? Whose Happiness?
In my most loyal and humble service to my country, I raise these questions for the good of the country and the people for ever. If you seek the answers to these questions with greater intensity of light, so does the circumsference of the darkness!
Dick Chhetri