The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES)—a Kathmandu-based freedom of expression monitoring group—has condemned the imprisonment of Shantiram Acharya, a young Bhutani journalist, by the Bhutanese authorities. According to the Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) Bhutan, an exiled Bhutanese media group based in Kathmandu, Acharya, a Bhutanese of Nepali origin who was … Read more
Kathmandu, January 23: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said it is worried at the Bhutan High Court’s sentencing of journalist Shanti Ram Acharya to a prison term of seven-and-a-half years on terrorism charges. In a statement issued on Friday, IFJ said, Acharya, 20, lived in refugee camps in Nepal since he and his immediate … Read more
Kathmandu, January 23: Former employee of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Corporation Nanda Gautam has sought support of Vincent Brossel, chief of Reporters Sans Frontiers in freeing Shantiram Acharya who has been given seven-and-half years jail term. In a letter to the Paris based press freedom watchdog, Gautam said Acharya was simply doing his duty of … Read more
Thimphu, January 23: Foreign Minister Ugyen Tshering and the Ambassador of Belgium in India Jean Marie Deboutte signed the political paper this week formally establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two countries have agreed to exchange diplomatic representatives at ambassadorial level to strengthen relations. Bhutan is likely to open its embassy in Brussels … Read more
Thimphu, January 23: After 19 years of silence, the politicians in Bhutan finally talked about the problem of southern Bhutan briefly ahead of the closing day of the second session of elected National Assembly on Wednesday. A southern Bhutan lawmaker who was army general during the 1990 demonstrations, said government should waive off the … Read more
Kathmandu, January 22: Bhutan lost to Oman by 213 runs in the final of ACC Trophy Challenge 2009 at Prem Oval Staduim in Thailand. Winning the toss, Bhutan choose field and ended up with 322 for 9 after 50 overs to Oman. Bhutan's was a strange decision on winning the toss to put Oman in … Read more
Thimphu, January 22: The National Assembly on Tuesday endorsing the Prison Bill decided to allow a night’s stay in prison, once a month, for spouses of inmates in the conjugal cabins of a jail. New addition to the bill, Section 132 states, “A spouse visiting the prisoner may use the conjugal cabins after due approval … Read more
Thimphu, January 22: The private sector has expressed its dissatisfaction on the government decision to increase the salary of the government employees. Saying that private businesses have been hit hard by the economic recession, the private companies are unlikely to adopt the government decision. This means those working on private sectors have to bear the … Read more
Thimphu, January 22: It is not just the National Council members but the Chief Justice Sonam Tobgay as well to term the decision of the government to raise the salary of the government employees as unconstitutional. However, his displeasure comes after government failed to incorporate the recommendations he made regarding the pay hike. The government … Read more
Thimphu, January 21: Shortly after increasing salaries of the government employees and the members of parliament, the DPT-government has increased the annual budget layout by Nu 8.3 billion to the original budget of Nu 23 billion. Government said budget estimations have been increased after the government of India agreed to release Nu 5.5 billion grants … Read more