Nov 03: Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit Bhutan from November 6-9 with an aim of strengthening bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
A trade agreement is expected to be signed during the visit, with the aim of increasing trade, commerce, and economic growth of the two countries, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni said in Dhaka.
Bhutanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Bap Kesang, who called on Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Tuesday, said they are well prepared to receive the prime minister in the Himalayan country.
The foreign minister told the ambassador that the visit would provide opportunities for stocktaking of the entire gamut of bilateral relations and generating further impetus to take the existing cordial relations.
She also told that the exchange of visits between the two countries at various levels as well as people-to-people contacts should be encouraged to explore new areas of cooperation, according to a foreign ministry press statement.
Nov 3: The vaccines named ‘pentavalent vaccines’ are being used in Bhutan to immunize newborn infants against pneumonia and meningitis but have proven themselves detrimental to child health.
At least five infants have already died due to the complications developed following side effects of the vaccines. The health ministry circulated alerts on October 23 to all hospitals in the country to stop using the vaccines after reports of serious side effects came to limelight.
A ten week old baby at Samtse hospital died after second dose of the vaccine.
However, a two month old baby referred to Thimphu hospital from Gelephu at critical condition following the administration of first dose of vaccine was recovered.
The pentavlent vaccine is given to new born babies in three doses when they are six, ten and fourteen weeks old.
It is a combination of vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and hepatitis-B and haemophilus influenza type B
Experts from World Health Organization are investigating the causes of death cross-checking all details of storage, batch number, expiry date, the handling of vaccines.
‘Vaccinated infants are also being reviewed for the symptoms, time and place of vaccination,’ according to a member of investigating team.
Bhutan received a total of 30, 200 vaccines from Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative which can vaccinate 1100 babies.
Refugees reading the copies of The Bhutan Reporter monthly. Photo/TP Mishra
A media support group, run by Bhutanese journalists living in exile, is looking for international support in order to continue to develop its media training programmes and to campaign for media freedom in the region.
The Media Network Bhutan (MNB), run entirely by volunteers, is approaching its third anniversary. It claims its training courses have helped hundreds of Bhutanese journalists living in the refugee camps in Nepal.
The aim now is to bring together the overseas Bhutanese refugee communities that have been resettled in the West in order to strengthen their media skills and to mobilise them in a campaign for media freedom within Bhutan.
Self help in the refugee camps
The MNB grew out of the work being carried out by a small group of Bhutanese journalists living in the refugee camps in Nepal. It was formally launched in the Beldangi camp in January 2009.
According to Mona Rath Pokhrel, the General Executive of the MNB, those living in the seven refugee camps were starved of reliable information.
“Our aim was to equip journalists in the refugee community with the tools needed to produce responsible and informative coverage of the issues facing those living in the camps,”
“Our aim was to equip journalists in the refugee community with the tools needed to produce responsible and informative coverage of the issues facing those living in the camps,” he said.
The first event was a 21-day course in journalism basics for 45 young refugee journalists. The training was organised in association with the Bhutan chapter of the Third World Media Network. This was followed up with training in radio journalism, attended by 40 participants.
Funding breakthrough
From left Dawa Durkpa, Indra Wati Rai, and Shiva Lal Homagain with their journalism training certificates – Photo Mona Rath Pokhrel
The MNB then partnered with the Youth Friendly Center (YFC), a youth programme funded by the UNHCR (the United Nations refugee agency), in setting up a writing course attracting 100 existing and budding journalists from the Bhutanese refugee community.
As more and more journalists were seen to have benefited from the course, the MNB decided to award some of the brightest and best in recognition of their services to the community; people whose work would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
In its first year, the MNB trained more than 200 Bhutanese refugee journalists. To mark its first anniversary, the organisation staged a conference entitled ‘The Media and Bhutanese Refugees’ called to assess the impact of their work so far and decide how it should develop.
As part of its media freedom work, the MNB has teamed up with the Bhutan Press Union (BPU), the Association of Press Freedom Activities (APFA) and the Third World Media Network (TWMN-Bhutan chapter), in a joint effort to build links with Bhutanese media organisations inside the country.
Building an international network
The MNB has appointed executives in the seven resettlement countries of the USA, Canada, Norway, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, as well as in Nepal. A committee is also being set up in Bhutan, but the MNB says that branch will be working secretly to avoid government detection; Bhutan does not encourage any association between refugees and those living in the country.
Two websites are currently being registered to act as discussion forums for those Bhutanese living in exile, those working to improve the standards of journalism within the refugee community, and those campaigning for media freedom within the country.
The group’s work has not been without incident. Last month, Karna Bahadur Kharka, a Bhutanese social activist, who had been an inspiration to the team running the MNB, was killed by a so-far unidentified group.
The MNB immediately called for government action to find those responsible and bring them to justice, and in doing so thrust the organisation into the forefront of the campaign for media freedom.
According to Pokhrel, the next development is to secure international support for the organisation’s work.
“Our long-term goal and vision is to work to ensure a strong media in Bhutan and support the Bhutanese media in exile.
“However, we are all volunteers and our team is working part-time to achieve these ends. In order to campaign at the highest level we need international assistance and recognition,”
“However, we are all volunteers and our team is working part-time to achieve these ends. In order to campaign at the highest level we need international assistance and recognition,” he said.
If such support is forthcoming, Pokhrel says the MNB is ready to extend its work in the three areas on which it is focussing:
building the capacity of Bhutanese journalists living in exile
campaigning for media freedom in Bhutan
bringing together the Bhutanese exile community and enabling a global debate about freedom of expression in the country.Any international media support groups interested in contacting the MNB can do so via this site’s contact us form. Comments can also be added to this article by using the comment form below.Source: Media Helping Media, UK.
Nov 02: District Police Office, Jhapa, yesterday filed murder case against Bir Bahadur Subba, Yadav Gurung and Pahal Man Rai, accusing them of being involved killing K.B. Khadka, in the District Court.
Khadka’s eldest son Jeetu told Bhutan News Service that the district police filed murder case against those suspects.
“Damak police station has confirmed me of this,” told Jeetu. “Now, we are hopeful that these culprits get maximum punishment according to laws.”
Timai-based Armed Police Force arrested Gurung and Rai last month while Subba was detained from Beldangi-I camp two weeks back.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the UNHCR is process for third resettlement at the earliest. “We have visited its office a number of times seeking prompt relocation,” said Jeetu. “However, our case is not yet forwarded to IOM,” he added.
The relocation of Damber Karki, the living eye-witness of Khadka’s slaying, has been postponed indefinitely. According to his family sources, earlier he was given departure date of October 4.
Oct 31: After herculean six hours surgery, Hari Adhikari, General Secretary of Bhutan National Democratic Party (BNDP), who is now in California in USA under resettlement program, has finally started to improve his deteriorated health status.
‘Had it not been such prompt attention and specialized service, I wouldn’t have been the same man. Indeed, this is why I decided to be here for my better health,’ said Adhikari.
According to Adhikari, he had heart ailment for more than three years. He frequently visited Siliguri, Sikkim and Delhi in India.
‘I approached United Nation High Commissioner’s office in Kathmandu for my treatment, but the policy did not cover my kind of illness,’ added Adhikari.
Adhikari in hospital before being discharged. Photo/family source
Adhikari further informed BNS that Abhram Abhram, the then UNHCR Country Representative in Nepal, had once recommended him with a request letter to Dr Bhagwan Koirala at Sahid Ganga Lal Heart Research Center in the capital city of Nepal for his better treatment.
“I was diagnosed blockade in my two arteries through angiogram. I was recommended for a surgery but having left everything back home in Bhutan; my means to meet the financial costs was a mere dream. That is one of the reasons that prompted me to opt for resettlement too,” said Adhikari, who is now taking rest at his own apartment.
Adhikari, who arrived in USA on July 27 in San Diego, California, was hospitalized on October 22 at Grossmont hospital, San Diego. A team of specialists led by Dr Howden, Dr Robert Young and Dr Kadk successfully unblocked his three arteries in the operation that ran for hours.
‘I am really thankful to these doctors and the government of United States for such timely care. I am fine and put up for follow up for three months,’ said Adhikari.
Adhikari, former National Assembly (NA) member of Bhutan is the founding member of BNDP who joined the movement for democratic change in 1990.
Adhikari is a senior political leader who played major role in the movement launched by Bhutanese Coalition for Democratic Movement (BCDM) in 1997 and subsequent movements under United Front for Democracy (UFD).
Meanwhile, Mohan Tamang, president of Democratic Youth of Bhutan, who has been assisting Adhikari to ensure goodwill support to him from within the community and well-wishers, expressed his happiness over successful surgery.
Talking to BNS over telephone, Tamang also said that the offer of resettlement, has finally given new life to a political leader whose contribution for the Bhutanese movement was unavoidable in the upcoming days.
Oct 31: No human casualties were reported as of yesterday but initial information suggest that structures damaged by the September 21 earthquake may have been further weakened by the 5.2 magnitude tremor which struck eastern Bhutan around 11 pm on Thursday.
With its epicenter in Mongar, close to the Trashigang border, the quake was also felt 180 km away in Thimphu. “The house shook for 5 seconds and there were around three aftershocks,” said home minister, Lyonpo Minjur Dorji who is in Trashigang. Thursday’s quake is about 10-15 km south of the September 21 earthquake’s epicenter in Narang.
Reports from Trashigang dzongkhag says that 72 houses were affected, most of which were damaged by the September quake. Gewog wise, 50 houses were damaged in Yangneer, 17 in Udzorong of which seven are new houses and one has collapsed. Another five were damaged in Lumang. Reports from other dzongkhags were still pouring in.
According to Mongar dzongda Sherab Tenzin 34 houses were affected in his dzongkhag so far. Of these 11 are in Thangrong, six in Sheri Muhung, five in Mongar, five in Tsakhaling, four in Narang and three in Ngatshang.
The Pemagatshel dzongda, Gholing Tshering, said that around 10 structures were affected. A primary school in Chimung gewog damaged earlier was damaged badly with its classrooms and staff quarters now made unsafe for living according to the dzongda. In Lhuentse four houses in Sengor gewog were damaged of which two were new.
Department of geology’s seismologist, Dowchu Dukpa, said, “the 5.2 earthquake has caused less damage because it was around 32 times weaker than the 6.1 earthquake.” Both quakes took place close to one another, but were caused by entirely different reasons.
The 5.2 quake was caused by a ‘strike slip fault’ where the Indian and Eurasian plates move sideways away from each other instead of against each other. “This is usually more destructive but it was of a smaller magnitude and occurred at a depth of 26.5 km below the surface,” he said. The 6.1 earthquake which occurred at a depth 14 km is of a more normal ‘thrust’ earthquake where the Indian and Eurasian plates move directly into one another.
Dowchu said the 6.1 earthquake was caused by the ‘main center Thrust’ fault line and a branch of it may have caused the 5.2 quake. This fault line runs across the Himalayas and in Bhutan it runs close to the southern dzongkhags before rising up sharply covering eastern dzongkhags like Mongar and Trashigang.
Oct 30: A Bhutanese refugee has been held in connection to robbery at Laxmi Bank Limited in Damak, Nepal.
According to police, the one who has been arrested has been identified as Daak Man Bhujel, 22, a registered refugee from Beldangi I refugee camp, Sector G.
Bhujel was arrested near Damak bus park. With the looted amount of Nepalese currency 17 hundred thousands, three of the refugees were arrested then in connection to the robbery.
The police had been looking for Bhujel since the incident of the robbery. A group of seven-eight people looted the bank during the day light and had managed to escape with the amount of 78 hundred thousands since then.
Among them, four have been arrested along with the amount of 18 hundred thousands.
Kathmandu, October 30: Bhutan Media Society has starting relaying its valley-based weekly radio programs to eastern Nepal coving all camps, some districts of India and Bhutan’s border from October 18.
“Now each episode of Saranarthi Sarokar from Nepal FM Network, Kathmandu, is liked to Ganatantra FM, Dharan, via satellite exchange,” said Bhutan Media Society (BMS) in a statement. (Listen to the first episode)
Bhutan Media Society decided to air programs from eastern Nepal to inform the camp residents on current affairs, history, and governance, role of media, new democracy and post-resettlement issues among others.
According to BMS, with partial support from Ganga Neupane resettled in Arizona, it will broadcast weekly radio programs from both the radio stations for at least six months.
“It depends on our financial status to extend the programs after six months,” says program producer Vidhyapati Mishra.
“If we get a sponsor to support 100 USD monthly, we can continue the radio program forever,” added Mishra.
According to BMS, Sarokar was forced to discontinue from Pathibhara FM last year after broadcasting for four months since it couldn’t find any sponsor for the air time cost.
“Our new site Radiobhutanonline.com will archive all episodes of Saranarthi Sarokar for the Bhutanese Diaspora and other listeners,” said BMS statement.
Ichha Poudel from Australia reads a report on Tihar while IP Adhikari has an exclusive report on the recent quake in Bhutan. There is a conversation with Chief District Officer of Jhapa on various security issues in the second part followed by expression of Tek Nath Rizal.
Production of the book stretched image-processing systems to their limits. The life-size portraits of people and the panoramas convey some of the staggering sweep of the mountains and the ancient architecture in Bhutan, the last intact Himalayan kingdom.
The Big book
The book’s creator, Michael Hawley of MIT, challenged Acme Bookbinding of Charlestown, Mass, the world’s oldest book bindery. “Every page in this book is a masterpiece,” notes Paul Parisi, president of Acme. “We built the permanent binding it deserves.” Acme invented a hand-built binding that combines the strengths of Western-style stitched books with Asian-style fanfolding.
The book features 112 pages of spectacular images and showcases the variety of digital, photographic and printing techniques that Hawley used. Copies are printed on-demand (imagine warehousing a print run!) using a roll of paper longer than a football field and more than a gallon of ink. It takes a full twenty-four hours to print.
“Our aim was to equip journalists in the refugee community with the tools needed to produce responsible and informative coverage of the issues facing those living in the camps,” 
