Time for the Bhutanese to act

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Some of the major politicians are quarreling amongst themselves on the strategy to follow. There has not been a single effective attempt to mobilize the international political scene and to get the cause of the refugees on the international agenda. The Bhutanese do not have a Dalai Lama that can speak for them, who is regarded as an international figure of importance. They dearly miss effective leadership. Bhutan has taken advantage of that in the past twenty years by keeping silent and by lying and cheating on the international political scene.

Within the SAARC countries, the case of the refugees has not been seriously discussed or handled. Bhutan and more importantly India blocks discussions on that level. The UN is dominated by countries that prefer a contained situation to a possible conflict with the buffer state Bhutan that is geographically and politically squeezed […]

Together we can make things happen

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I am also grateful to my colleagues: especially the editors, board members, and correspondents at the Bhutan News Service (BNS). It is because of their continuous dedication and effort that the Agency is being honored today. In every respect, I will consider this honor as the one to all exiled journalists, who are dedicated to safeguarding Bhutanese citizens right to information.

Despite many challenges, the team of BNS continued to work to offer a reliable, responsible and objective news service. We regularly covered stories about the hardships faced by our fellow community members—groups, families or individuals. We were and are always ready to celebrate, through our news coverage, the success stories that involve our community.

My pantheon – destroyed for happiness

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The building arts, more than any other forms of material cultures are intrinsically site oriented and speak the volume of facts. This house was an old residence, well built and somewhat ornately decorated. It had a simple rectangular plan and the house stood elegantly on a rectangular rubble stone plinth of about two feet orienting in east-west direction that responded friendly with the climate. It had two feet thick rubble stone masonry walls, mortared and plastered with mud to give the surface a better finishing. East the main facade was given emphasized by elements and its design. The front canopy had free style three paired wooden post, detailed with ornamentation at the upper half that held the beam taking the super-load from above […]

Family Ties

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His Majesty has traveled the length and breadth of our country and personally granted land kidu to tens of thousands of farmers. He has walked – sometimes for days on end, in the sun, rain and in the snow – to meet our remotest villagers, and has cooked for them, slept in their houses, and granted kidu to the destitute, the needy and the infirm.

He has visited almost every school, from community schools to colleges, to talk with, to play – at times even barefoot – and to guide our students.

Irony of being young but without missing to study hard

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In last November, when King Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck visited Jakar Higher Secondary School, he had played a lot of funs with students in their teens, some in their viable-diable age. As he spoke to them, one of his sentences was notable for many who availed a chance to listen at him.

He lucidly told them that every college student must enjoy his life of being young and unmarried, but should never miss to study hard. By that time, he was 30.
On contrary to his advice, as he turned 31 on February 21 this year, the King started preparing to disclose his relationship with one 21-year-old college […]

Royal wedding announced

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Two weeks after the world’s renowned British royal wedding, king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has finally revealed his intention to marry a commoner Jetsun Pema in an address at the opening of parliament, officials said. The King with Pema, the future queen/The Hindu “The king presided over the opening of parliament this morning and during … Read more

Bhutan’s Race to Security Council

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The leaders in Kathmandu gave faint assurance to vote for Bhutan; political instability complicates assurance, as who may be at the power at the time of election is unpredictable. Asian nations’ vote to select Bhutan to represent them and later through an election in the UNGA to the UNSC membership will shape Bhutan’s image and build a affable trend of peaceful coexistence of big and small nations in Asia.

On the part of Bhutan, the leaders must intensify their diplomatic lobby. On the human rights ground, Bhutan should do two things—accept all the Bhutanese people, evicted by the former regime, from exile to create clean human right records, and avail more democratic liberties to the people in the country.

Recurring Reassurances

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Prime Minister Thinley’s fluctuating remarks, from labelling all refugees as ‘illegal immigrants’ to his recent statement that some are indeed genuine Bhutanese, also reflect a nebulous approach. In 1992, at an international conference on Bhutan in London, Thinley, then home secretary, presented a paper in which he defended his government’s position against southern Bhutanese, labelling them as illegal immigrants. During the recent visit, Thinley’s delegation in Kathmandu was accompanied by Khandu Wangchuck, minister for economic and foreign affairs, who in 2006 called the refugees ‘readymade terrorists’. Such backgrounding certainly makes one wonder whether, instead of waiting for another round of talks to materialise, refugees should ponder third-country resettlement, launched by the UN’s refugee agency in 2007 […]

Execution of Chhabda at Changlimithang

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When Jambey was arrested, the whole plot to kill PM Dorji was uncovered. According to his statement to the commission, he and his fellow-friend Doley, were teamed up to assassinate the PM. Doley had even taken rupees 1000 from Chhabda as an advance reward for bringing the plot into action. However, only Jambey was able to shot the prime minister on one fine night. After the arrest of Jambey and Chhabda, murder-accused Sangye Dorji, Bacchu and Doley were also arrested and booked. The six-member royal commission headed by Gyelden Thinley Dorji and appointed by the king, conducted an open hearing where each of the accused was asked to give his statement […]

Open letter to Nepali President Yadav

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The whole process of negotiation between the two governments to resolve the issue is also well documented. How even after the joint verification of refugees and as agreed by the two governments Bhutan brazenly walked out of the process to avoid taking back its citizens is a matter of record too. The action by the Bhutanese authority not only betrayed the Bhutanese nationals but also made a blatant mockery of the position of the Government of Nepal (GoN) and all established international norms including human rights and civil liberty. Even today, however unfortunate, the reality is that these citizens per force continue to live as refugees in the UN-sponsored camps in the eastern Nepal. In more recent times, I am sure you are aware that Bhutan has charmed the international community with its Shangri-La image to get its citizens in the camps settled in various third countries […]