Bhutan to decrease army strength

Thimphu, June 24: Chief of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Wogma Batoo Tshering has informed the ongoing National Assembly that he government has initiated process to slash the strength of the army by next year. The current strength of the RBA is 9,021 soldiers and government plans to bring down the number to 8,000, said … Read more

Lhotsampa wins international award

Thimphu, June 24: A Lhotsampa student of grade XII from Motithang Higher Secondary School has won award in an international essay contest. 17-year-old Bhuwan Giri, a science student at the school, won the essay competition entitled 'values of life', organized by Asia Pacific Leadership Program of the East-West Center and the College of Arts and Sciences, … Read more

Government blocks bhutantimes.com

Thimphu, June 25: The Bhutan government has banned viewing a website this month without furnishing any reason or accusation clamped on it. The government ordered the recently formed Bhutan Information, Communication and Media Authority (BICMA) to block viewing bhutantimes.com inside Bhutan. According to the orders, the only and government owned ISP Druknet blocked viewing the … Read more

WB makes US$8 mil grant to Bhutan

New Delhi, June 22: The World Bank on June 20 approved a US$8 million grant to Bhutan, designed to create employment opportunities through private sector development, the bank statement reads. Strengthening the private sector to create job opportunities is a high priority of the Bhutan government and is a central part of its development strategy, … Read more

Acts made on Civil Society Organizations and Public Finance

Thimphu, June 22: The ongoing last session of the National Assembly has endorsed the Civil Society Organizations Bill and the Public Finance Bill on June 20. Civil Society Organizations Act defines a civil society organization to be any ‘associations, societies, foundations, charitable trusts, non profit organizations or other entities that are not part of the … Read more

Communique of the Core Working Group on Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal (REPRODUCTION)

The governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United States, as members of the Core Working Group on Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal, highlight our strong desire to see a comprehensive and sustainable resolution for the protracted refugee situation of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Indeed, the refugees living in Nepal cannot … Read more

World refugee day observed in camp

Beldangi II, June 21: The exiled Bhutanese celebrated the World Refugee Day in Beldangi and other camps in Jhapa and Morang districts on Wednesday. Youth Friendly Center organized demonstrations. Camp secretary of Beldangi II extension Manarath Khanal also addressed a function. Speakers on the function stressed the need to keep all options open to find … Read more

More than three dozen arrested in Bhutan (Exclusive)

Phuentsholing, June 21: The military government of Bhutan has arrested at least 39 people from southern Bhutan recently allegedly involved in communist party.  These people have been kept at the Samtse jail and are given heavy torture and treated inhumaly. However, status of few of them has not been known. Their family members have not … Read more

Indian PM dedicates Tala to his nation

New Delhi, June 20: Stressing the need to address the challenge on the energy front on a war-footing, the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh dedicated the Tala Power Transmission System to his nation. Bhutan News Service Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion.“I am delighted to be associated today … Read more

1278 census cases pending

The official census jointly conducted by UNHCR and government of Nepal has kept 1278 cases pending. These cases are termed as ‘Census Pending.’ As per the study conducted by Association of Human RIghts Activists (AHURA-Bhutan), the number os such pending cases are 186 in Beldangi-I, 392 in Beldangi-II, 146 in Beldangi-II Extension, 249 in Sanischare, … Read more