No news?

Since the last post, Bhutan has seen lots of changes, mostly political. The first ever general elections took place with Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) winning a landslide victory. The Indian Prime Minister visited Bhutan and addressed the first joint sitting of the Parliament.

I have not been feeling too well after the accident and took a rest from the blogs.

Anyway, the only news worth reflecting as of now is Kuenselonline's Constitution to be tabled on Thursday.

News and sites of Bhutan

No news is good news, so said someone wise and maybe dead now.

I have been browsing through kuenselonline, bhutan times, bhutan observer for some hint of news update, i mean hot news, and they have none other than the usual kewa dathi feature at KOL, losing candidates cry foul of party politics at bhutan observer, and the link to bhutantimes was dead like the legendary singye karm.

Why they never seem to update their sites, I will never understand. Moreover, links to most government sites are dead or carry the same stuff they uploaded decades ago. Look at National Assembly of Bhutan's site. What is your first thought? Who designed it? Is it supposed to look like that? Frankly, I could have designed a better one when I was introduced to the basics of IT. Then there are some sites...oh forget about it.

Anyway, on this sad note, I wish everyone a very Happy New Year of Earth Rat.

Losar Tashi Delek!

What should Bhutan fear?

What should Bhutan fear? Threat from militant groups or a natural disaster? We seem to be totally unprepared for both.

Weeks after the explosion of four bomb in four districts, another bomb went off at Samtse. Although no casaulties were reported, its seems they are upto something.

A police spokesperson said that they have recovered leaflets of the Communist Party of Bhutan based in Nepal from the scene threatening to stop the National Assembly election in March. (Kuenselonline)

People's expectation and demands are strange that change with time and situation. Back in 1990's, some of these people destroyed public property, murdered innocent people, went againt the nation and left the country all in the name of democracy. Now that Bhutan is introducing democracy, they want to stop the first ever election to be held in March. It is strange.

Then Todd Crowell's feature at Asia Sentinel is equally if not more disturbing. In his feature High-altitude flood warning, he says,

Global warming could cause catastrophic emptying of lakes in Nepal and Bhutan.

The upper Himalaya lakes in Nepal and Bhutan that were formed by retreating glaciers are getting bigger as global warming causes glaciers to recede, with possibly ruinous consequences, a development that Japanese scientists have been monitoring with concern.

It is not a new phenomenon, but it is a growing and dangerous one.

What could be more disturbing? What should Bhutan fear? Militant threat from the south or high altitude flood from the north?

Bhutan: into the future

With the completion of National Council elections, held on two different dates due to lack of candidates in some Dzongkhags, the Kingdom of Bhutan seems fully geared for the upcoming first ever general elections to be held towards the end of March, 2008. It appeared however that the National Council election was not taken too seriously both by the people and the media. A few scratches of articles here and there, reported almost unwillingly, it was over as soon as we knew it started.

In the meanwhile, Gasa Dzong survived fire (Kuenselonline) while four houses were burnt down to rubbles (Kuenselonline); four bombs exploded and a boy was found toying with hand grenades.

Elections: one down, one more to go, reads a Bhutan Observer headline. The election that was already down was dubbed huge success (with glitches) by the Chief Election Commissioner. How would the other one go?

A stark contrast in their choice of political candidates and agenda, the twin political parties of Bhutan shouted out their promises to the people even before the Election Commission of Bhutan was supposed to have dictated their campaign dates. In the course of their so called familiarisation tour of constituencies, some of the candidates pointed fingers at each other, accusing each other of corruption charges and other such allegations much to the dismay of the public.

Majority of candidates with PDP are business entrepreneurs while resigned civil servants and academicians flocked the DPT. PDP takes their talk for a walk, the DPT tries to instill a sense of utopian idealism into the minds of the people.

What kind of government do we need? What kind of Bhutan would they create once they assume their responsibilities? Would Bhutan join forces with the rest of world in embracing material oriented society or would Bhutan aspire to create a society of idealism and uniqueness true to its founding fathers?

Tobacco ban and its aftermath

The case of tobacco ban in Bhutan has rather turned out to be a joke. Sale of tobacco products has been banned without actually restricting the indulgement. Tobacco can still be consumed in most social gatherings like pubs, bars, discotheques, and even in some of the restaurants.

Where do people buy them?

That is not a serious question. The result of tobacco ban has opened up whole new avenue for the establishment of black market where tobacco products are sold at higher price. Yet, people are willing to pay and the shops willing to sell as long as they are mutually available.

The Royal Government of Bhutan has taken every possible measure to curb the problem. A headline at Bhutan Broadcasting Service website reads,

Tobacco products worth Nu. 60,000 seized

February 2: In Thimphu, officials from the Department of Trade and other agencies including the Royal Bhutan Police seized tobacco products worth Nu. 60, 000 from a shop in the old vegetable market area yesterday.

The raid was conducted by the sub-committee for tobacco control. Officials said that the raid was conducted in areas in the capital city after a tip off.

The Director of Trade, Dophu Tsering said that the shop raided yesterday supplies tobacco products to other shops in and around the capital.

The Department of Trade has cancelled 34 Micro Trade license since sale of tobacco was banned in 2004. 11 were canceled in Thimphu alone this January.

A student with grenades

From Kuenselonline

30 January, 2008 - A 17-year old student of Lhamoizingkha in Dagana was
caught with three hand grenades and was questioned in police custody.Sherab
Wangchuk Sherpa confessed that the grenades were given to him by a militant
based in Jhapa, Naurata Pradhan, on December 16 last year, in Majgaon village in
Lhamoizingkha. He said that he had been taught how to handle a grenade and was
told to throw one on the function ground during the National Day celebrations
and another into the army camp in Lhamoizingkha.

He failed to carry out these instructions and had hidden the grenades near the river. On January 21 he was seen taking out the grenades by some boys of Maijigaon village who reported it to the police.

Sherab Wangchuk Sherpa will be tried at the Lhamoizingkha dungkhag court, according to the police.

A software to answer the prayers

Good news for visually impaired students in Bhutan and the world.

Here is a story I copied from Bhutan Observer the second private news and media company in Bhutan.

Trashigang: Starting this year, teaching and learning of Dzongkha for the visually impaired at the National Institute for Disabled (NID), Khaling will become easier with the launching of the new Dzongkha Braille translation software.

Dorji Tshewang, Curriculum officer of the Ministry of Education said the main reason for launching the software was to make available the new text books for the visually impaired students.

Till now, the visually impaired students had to share text books since there were no sufficient text books hampering their performance. Lopen Karma Norbu of NID said the students had a difficult time rotating the text books of Dzongkha and English.

“From this year, it would be more convenient for the students with individual text books and I feel that they will perform better,” he added.

Dorji Tshewang said the software would also help integrate the school for disables with normal schools in future.

Earlier, teachers had to punch Dzongkha text books into Braille. But the software, which was developed by IIT Kharagpur, India, will enable teachers to translate Dzongkha text books into Braille.

Teachers and lecturers were not trained to translate the text books but this year, they are trained to do so.. Some 18 teachers and lecturers of NID and NIE are attending a 20-day orientation programme at Rangjung Higher Secondary School. The orientation was funded by the Royal Government of Bhutan and UNICEF with the budget of Nu.04 million.

With one translation, teachers would be able to Braille-emboss many numbers of text books. The English Braille translation software was first introduced in 2002.

Kishore Kumar, the coordinator of the workshop said previously, teachers had to manually punch the text books, which was difficult.

“The Dzongkha Braille translation software would reduce the burden of punching text books for teachers,” he said. He added that they can now have library with books in Braille other than text books for the visually impaired.

As of today, there are a few library books in Braille, which was donated by some well wishers in 1950s.

There are 51 visually impaired students in NID. Three are studying in Sherubtse College. As per the survey conducted by the Community Rehabilitation Centre, about 10 percent of the country’s population were disabled.

All rights reserved with Bhutan Observer.

Death by the Banana Tree

Strange news.

Kuenselonline has this news, Man killed by falling banana trees

28 January, 2008 - A 55-year old man in Chali, Mongar, died after a spade cut through his stomach when several bananas trees that he was trying to uproot fell on him at around 1:30 pm on January 21.

The deceased, Thinley Penjore from Masang Kangjay village, had gone to help in the construction of his neighbour’s new house according to the village tshogpa, Kinzang.

Thinley Penjore and two other people were helping to dig out the banana grove near the construction site when the accident happened. Thinley Penjore died on the spot. The two other men escaped unhurt.

The medical doctor at Mongar Regional Referral Hospital who went to examine the death told Kuensel that the man had died from the fatal injury.

Sloppy reporting, don't you think?

What is this? (to name a few)

1 bananas trees?
2. examine the death?
3. died from the fatal injury? (after his guts were spilled out by the spade...)

Kuenselonine should seriously try to edit their posts before publishing them on the web.

Militants in Bhutan

This news was disturbing.

A militant camp in Tsirang at Kuenselonline.

The Royal Bhutan army even exchanged a few rounds of fire with the militants who said they belonged to the self proclaimed Bhutan Tiger Force. Dal Bahadur Tamang, who was caught, informed the RBA that there were around 26 of them, living in three sheds. Boli Bhavan was their leader.

Tamang told the patrol that they belonged to the Bhutan Tiger Force, the militant wing of the Nepal-based Commuist Party of Bhutan, and that they had entered Bhutan in December, 2007, from Kachugaon village in Assam.

A RBA spokesman said that a search and combing operation was being conducted between lower Tsirang and the Bhutan-Assam border.

Are the other militant groups living in Bhutan?

The Dzong Survives!

The Gasa Dzong survived fire with its nangtens intact, according to Kuenselonline. But, 'the ka-gye (eight pillars) lhakhang, the koenyer’s (caretaker) room, and an engineering cell of the Gasa dzong were reduced to rubble and the main statues inside the lhakhang were charred.'

Now, how much would it cost to restore the damaged structure?

Knowing the Politicians

I have been following the interviews of our MP contestants. Do the interviews reflect their capability and sensibility?

On a higher note, I have began to develop some kind of hatred towards some of the candidates, all through their interviews.

One such candidate is Mr. Sonam Tobgay of People's Democratic Party. When asked about his favorite proverb, he says, None - I don't rely on proverbs to get my point across. My first thought was, does he read? That's understandable though.

And when asked, Which ministry would you like to head given a chance?, he answers out of nowhere, Nothing should be left to chance - especially the selection of our ministers. A minister cannot be bureaucratic, a technocrat, or an autocrat - but someone who can inspire and motivate the bureaucracy to think innovatively and provide prompt and efficient services. Now, is this an answer to the question? You tell me...

And another candidate that puts me off at the first answer is PDP's Namgay Om. When asked about her lo (lunar year of birth), she remarks, Never ask a lady her age, and a gentleman his salary. Which century are you living in, madam? I mean, no one was asking her how old she was. That was a generalised question. Then her opponent is her shadow!

Now, Ugyen Dorji of DPT. His answers prove he is worth something. Just follow his answer at his page at Kuenselonline. Compare his answers with his opponent.

You can catch their interviews (updated regularly) at Know your candidates.

Copy of the article posted at Memories, Dreams and Reflections

Lack of effecient fire fighting facilities

Fire in Gasa dzong, reads a headline at Kuenselonline, where fire had threatened to destroy the fortress on the morning of 23 January 2008.

Now fire cases in Dzongs and Lhakhangs and other wooden structures in Bhutan is not a recent development. Drugyel Dzong, Paro was razed to the ground by fire in 1951. Paro Taktshang suffered a devastating fire on unknown origin during the night of April 19, 1998. It was restored to its original structure recently at huge funds.

The absence of proper and effective fire fighting facilities in most of the Dzongs and Monasteries is a major problem. The recent fire at Gasa Dzong saw people fetching water from more than a hundred metres from the Dzong.

The Gasa dzongda said that the wooden structures of the dzong were burnt but it was difficult to assess the actual damage to the dzong and its treasures. He said that people from the hot springs at the bottom of the valley had rushed up to help fight the fire.

What must be done to ensure effective fire fighting techniques in the future? The Royal Government of Bhutan must provide a proper and effecient fire fighting facilities in Dzongs, Monasteries and other places of historical and social importance.

Bomb Blasts and Refugee Crisis

Following the recent bomb blasts in the country, most of the newspapers worldwide seem to be reviving the so called refugee dilemma.

Violence haunts Bhutan's refugees, reads the BBC headline. Harriet Grant of the BBC World Service Nepal says, 'the refugees are ethnic Nepalese forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s by the government, which was concerned with the rising influence of a sizeable Hindu minority in the Buddhist country.'

His Majesty the Fourth King pleaded with some of these people not to leave the country. But they left, of their own accord, without heeding to the pleas of His Majesty.

Bombs in Bhutan stir refugee crisis, writes Mohan Balaji of the Asia Times Online, stating that the blasts is a powerful reminder of the simmering refugee problem that has long plagued the ruling government and tarnished the reputation of the tiny Himalayan kingdom often referred to as Shangri-La.

He further states that Bhutanese refugees are called Lhotshampas, which is totally untrue. People who left Bhutan after destroying infrastructures, murdered fellow citizens and disturbed the trainquility of the nation were termed as ngolops or terrorists. People who live in the south of Bhutan are known as Lhotshampas or Southeners just as the people in the East are known as Sharchokpas (Easterners).

History depends on who write them. Truth can be distorted or hidden.

The recent bomb blasts could be the work of one of the militant organisations, aptly named the Bhutan Tiger Force, the Bhutan Maoists Party, or the Communist Party of Bhutan. Yet nothing can be sure until the investigation is completed.

The blasts is under investigation according to Kuenselonline.

Closing the Rich-Poor Gap?

Daily News and Analysis (DNA) India has this report:

Thimphu: In a finding that is bound to bring smiles to Bhutan's advocates of
gross national happiness, a recent study has shown that the gap between the
country's rich and the poor is closing with the number of people living below
the poverty line dropping significantly.

Now, how true that would be is left to be seen. It further states:

The number of Bhutanese living below the national poverty line has dropped from
31.7 percent in 2004 to 23.2 percent of the total population, according to the
2007 Bhutan Living Standard Survey (BLSS) carried out by the National
Statistical Bureau.

Are most of the Bhutanese folks really poor? How do we measure poverty?

The national poverty line has been established at a minimum monthly earning of
Nu 1,096 per person, with estimated food requirement at Nu 688 and non-food
requirement of Nu 408. Previously, the poverty line put the minimum monthly
earning at Nu 740 a month.

Are the statistical measurement reliable? How many people did they survey? Did they really go to each household for their findings?

The report also says that poverty in Bhutan was still a rural phenomenon with higher rates found in Zhemgang, Samtse, Mongar, Lhuentse and Samdrup Jongkhar.

30.9 percent of rural Bhutan fall below the poverty line compared to 1.7 in the urban areas. "The gap between the rich and the poor is also closing, though not significantly," an official was quoted as saying.

The survey, which focused solely on poverty analysis, puts the number of people below the poverty line at 146,100 out of an extrapolated population figure of 630,000.

The NSB estimated the population in 2007 at 658,888, a projection based on the 2005s National Housing and Population census, which put the resident population at 634,982.

Bomb Blasts Rock the Himalayan Kingdom

Blasts rip through Bhutan, reads the CNN headline:

A series of four blasts ripped through the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Sunday, injuring one person.

No one claimed responsibility for the blasts, which come just days after the country announced its first ever general elections.

Kuenselonline has this,

Four bomb blasts took place between 11.10am and 2.10pm in four different dzongkhags on January 20, including one in the capital, Thimphu.

The first blast went off at 11:10 am near the vegetable market in Samste dzongkhag. There were no reported injuries or damages to property.

The second blast took place at 11:45 am in Thimphu town, behind the SNS restaurant. The impact of the explosion shattered the window panes of buildings in the area and unnerved shopkeepers, residents, and passersby in the area but no injuries were reported.

At 1:20 pm a third blast occurred near the gate of the Tala Guest House in Gedu, in Chukha dzongkhag. A woman who was hit by a splinter on her right leg was admitted in the Gedu Hospital.

At 2:10 pm the fourth blast occurred in Dagapela, in Dagana dzongkhag, behind the house of Passang Tshering. A second explosive device, which did not go off, was found in the same area. There was no injury to any person or damage to property in the blasts in Samtse and Dagapela.

A spokesman for the Royal Bhutan Police, who are investigating the blasts, said that one of the three militant organizations based in Nepal, the Bhutan Tiger Force, the Bhutan Maoists Party, and the Communist Party of Bhutan was suspected to be behind these bomb blasts.

Nepal News Online says,

Bhutanese authorities have blamed “Nepal-based organisations” for a series of bomb blasts that rocked the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan Sunday, injuring one person.