Thimphu, March 21, 2009: The government will implement the strategies formulated by Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) in 63 public agencies shortly to lay off ‘unnecessary’ officials recruited by the former governments.
The plan named Administration Burden Reduction Program aims at cutting down the bureaucracy for reducing recurrent expenditure and provide fast and quality public services.
Monitored by the office of Prime Minister, the strategy will touch all agencies within one year. The plan is already implemented in ministry of economic affairs, road safety and transport authority, and Thimphu City Corporation.
Anti Corruption Commission forecasts that downsizing the bureaucracy will reduce corruption while ministry of economic affairs expects to reduce administration burden of Nu 98.025 million per annum with the implementation of this scheme.
Kathmandu, March 20, 2009: Police authority in Damak has decided to file a case against one person who was arrested on suspicion of having links for recent fire in Beldangi-II camp.
Kamal Thapa, Inspector at the police post, said they are getting ready to file case at the district court in Jhapa against Birkha Bahadur Thapa of Sector E/1-86 in Beldangi-II camp from where the fire had begun.
Inspector Thapa claimed police has received green signals of Birkha’s involvement in the ablaze but did not elaborate to substantiate his claims.
Though neighbors claim Birkha to be mentally ill, police pushes the case forward and plans to make a health check up to identify if he is mentally ill. Birkha has currently been detained in Police custody in Damak.
Fire on March 11 in Sector ‘E’ of Bendangi-II camp had destroyed 98 huts including Panchaoti School and at least 135 huts in E/1, E/2, E/3, D/3 and D/4 were voluntarily demolished to prevent fire from spreading.
The displaced exiled Bhutanese taking shelter in school buildings and Bhutanese Refugee Women Forum office premises have so far received only basic needs.
A 60-member relief committee led by camp secretary Narad Muni Sanyashi, has been active in seeking donations and other supports. Representatives of the relief aid agencies including the UNHCR have reached the site to inspect the vulnerable situation. UNHCR office in Nepal said a taskforce has been set up to assess the damage and coordinate assistance. It said the inferno has left some 1,450 refugees homeless.
The inferno has affected the 241 students of Grade VIII who were writing their district level board examination. However, they managed to write their exams at Tri-Ratna Secondary School.
Association of Medical Doctors Association (AMDA) has set up a temporary health camp in the affected area to assist victims with medical treatment. Lutheran World Federation and World Food Program have distributed utensils, clothes and other necessary goods.
Hague, March 20, 2009: Ram Bahadur Karki Chhetri, a Netherlands based Bhutanese refugee, who runs business as well, has been awarded citizenship certificates by the Dutch government during a naturalization ceremony held on March 13 at the Hague municipality building.
Chhetri, who had been living in The Netherlands since November 2002 as a asylum seeker, fulfilled all the criteria required to become a Dutch national.
“You are the first ever Bhutanese that has acquired Dutch nationality in The Hague “ said Robijn Baldewsingh, Head of integration and population at the Hague municipality while awarding certificate.
“I feel very proud for being able to gain a citizenship status after being rendered stateless by the autocratic regime in Bhutan for around two decades” said Chhetri while thanking Dutch government for being too generous in awarding him a citizenship.
Born in Chengmari, Bhutan in 1970, Chhetri left the country in August 1990 and was active in the Bhutanese movement for Human Rights since then.
He said as a naturalized citizen of The Netherlands, he will continue his best to build a strong public opinion in the western world against the discriminatory policies of Bhutan and work actively for human rights and democracy.
Kathmandu, March 20, 2009: Bhutanese recently resettled in US, joined by those already sought asylum, organized a protest program in front of the Asian Arts Museum in San Francisco where Bhutan showcases the exhibition entitled ‘The Gift from Dragon: Sacred Arts of Bhutan’.
Demonstrations outside the art exhibition
The visitors to the exhibition, which schedules to run till May 10, were surprised to see the other side of the Bhutan’s face, against what has been portrayed to this day. They were surprise to note the reality behind the “cultural curtain” of Bhutan.
One of the members of the organizing team Dick Chhetri said the protest was by no means a protest against the magnificent arts of Bhutan but was to make aware the international community that it was wrong in the part of Bhutanese government to use the sacred arts and culture as a political tool to cover its hidden agenda of secret and systematic ethnic persecution that amounts to a ethnic cleansing of a dangerous type because, the highly projected mysteries of arts and culture camouflages, hides and distracts peoples’ attention from the real issue of human rights being trampled in everyday lives of Bhutanese refugees and Lhotsampas in Bhutan.
At least 20 Bhutanese from SF Bay Area participated in the peaceful demonstration with signs and placards and distributed literature to create awareness on ethnic and cultural suppression continuing in Bhutan.
“The response from the visitors was very encouraging; especially they were surprised that such a thing of ethnic cleansing exists in the land of Gross National Happiness. If we continued such simple, honest and straightforward protests, without politicizing it, in a united manner, it is certain the day will come when the good citizens of the world will seek to know whose happiness is Gross National Happiness in Bhutan, and uncover the hidden agenda of the Bhutanese government against the Southern Bhutanese”, reads a statement issued by Chhetri.
It further says, “Our message was clear that we are the victims of injustice, propaganda and political manipulations very well designed the Royal government under the guise of “One Nation, One People” policy, and completely overshadowed by the highly orchestrated international campaign leaving us helpless. However, Truth is on our side, and there are people who are willing to listen to the voice of the voiceless and may provide help to the helpless if we continued our international campaign.”
New Delhi, March 9, 2009: Shantiram Acharya, former reporter with The Bhutan Reporter, published by Association of Press Freedom Activists Bhutan in exile, has started hunger strike in Chemgang central jail from Monday.
Shantiram Acharya
Acharya was arrested in January 2006 for taking photo of army camp in southern Bhutan and was charged for carrying out subversive activities against the state.
Druk National Congress led by R K Dorji said in a statement that nine other people sentenced to long years of jail term by the high court during the period of absolute monarchy have joined Acharya on indefinite hunger strike. They are Sup Prakash Rai, Om Nath Adhikari, Karenda Kheder, Govinda Nerula, Chatra Bhadur Tamang, Ram Bahadur Chamling, Kumar Gautam, Sukman Mongar and Hastha Rai.
The ten inmates in Chemgang central jail decided to sit on fast-unto-death after doctors forced N. L. Katwal to take food administering glucose. Katwal ended his hunger strike on March 7. Katwal is in stable condition now, the party said.
The prisoners have demanded the institution of independent judiciary in Bhutan to look into their case again along with demands put forward by Katwal.
Even after the adoption of constitution in July last year, the fundamental human rights are not accorded to them and government continues to deny them the access to counsel so that they can fight their case appropriately.
Damak, March 9, 2009: Human Rights Organization of Bhutan has expressed serious concern over the inept responses from the government to address the demands raised by N. L. Katwal who has been in hunger strike in Chemgang central jail, Thimphu.
HUROB would like to request all concerns, especially the ICRC, which only has the access to prisons in Chemgang, Thimphu and Lodrai Jail in Sarbhang to take up the matter with the Government of Bhutan, that Katwal is properly treated and the Bhutan government takes seriously his appeal.
HUROB further called on the international community especially the core countries resettling the exiled Bhutanese, governments India and the Nepal take appropriate step to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem amicably with full justice to the refugees and help repatriation as demanded by Katwal.
The government had deployed doctors who forcefully administered glucose to Katwal last week against his will. Government, UN agencies in Thimphu, human rights groups and Bhutanese media operating within the country have all remained mum over the issue.
Arrested on April 2000, the high court sentenced him 13 years jail term on charges of demonstrating against the government and disturbing peace and harmony in the country.
Thimphu, March 6, 2009: Minister for Agriculture Pema Gyamtsho unveiled his plan on how to curb the increasing incidents of forest fire across the country in the last few years that has destroyed large areas of plantation.
A forest fire in Tingtibe, Zhemgang
In his plan made public in Thimphu, Friday, Gyamtsho said the cause of forest fire is due to ignorance of the villagers while burning the dried twigs and leaves collected while clearing bushes for agricultural activities.
The minister has asked the farmers to inform neighbors and local administration a day before they burn the twigs so ensure fire is controlled on time, in case of danger.
According to records, over 96,000 hectares of forest was destroyed in the country in between 2003 and 2007 due to forest fire. The country saw fires in more than dozen forests in this season only. The latest fire hazard is in Samdrup Jongkhar where fire damaged large areas of forests in three places of the district.
The increasing forest fire has pose challenge to the government records that country has over 64 percent fire cover. Absence of fire fighters, lack of training to the villagers, poor awareness campaign and villagers yarn for slash and burn tradition for agriculture are some of the major contributing factors of forest fire in the country.
The country does not have a fire brigade and trained fire fighters.
California, March 6, 2009: California in United States who already has two Bhutanese organizations saw yet another as newly resettled joined with few already taking asylum to form another.
The new organization named Bhutanese Community Support Organization in America (BASCO) is headed by Dick Chhetri. The organization claimed it adopted a policy of transparent ideas, debates and discussions among those who looked upon it in the spirit of unity, hope and optimism before the formation.
BASCO said ongoing Volunteer Programs will continue as its important activity. A BASCO Cultural Band is also constituted to illuminate cultural heritage, promote more interaction and entertainment.
Talman Thapa has been named as Vice Chairperson, Phal Rai as Secretary and T. N. Nepal as Finance officer. Board of Directors included Nar Bahadur Tiwari, Prem Kumar Gurung, Lok Nath Bastola and Purna Mongar
Thimphu, March 6, 2009: The Indo-Bhutan Friendship Car rally, that started in Siliguri in India reached Thimphu on Friday afternoon.
Ministers and senior government officials welcomed the rally in the capital. Princess Dechen Yangzom Wangchuk had bid farewell to the rally in Phuentsholing early morning yesterday.
The caravan of 28 cars, nine from Bhutan and 19 from India, carrying over 60 people received flowers and slogans in support of Indo-Bhutan friendship along the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway.
Thimphu, March 6, 2009: The annual festival of Punakha Tshechu has begun in Punakha on Friday with formal inauguration by Je Khempo, who also observed chham performances.
The three-day festival is attended by hundreds of Buddhist followers from neighboring villages and nearby districts.
The mask performers also presented dram depicting the life and works of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified the country in 17th century. The religious festival is organized in memory of Guru Rimpoche also called Guru Padmashambhava who first introduced Buddhism in the country.
The Indian said had reached Bhutan in ninth century through Maratika of Nepal.
Schools and government offices will remain closed for three days to observe the festival.
