October 18: Exiled Bhutanese in camps in Jhapa Nepal have performed various tradition programs on the eve of Dipawali festival.  

Creative Entertainment Group, a youth group of exiled Bhutanese committed to preserve Bhutanese art, literature and culture has organized a special program on the occasion of Tihar, one of the great Nepali festivals, in Sanischare refugee camp on October 17.

The program conducted in a day of Laxmi Puja (third day of Tihar) was presided by Kedar Upreti, a Bhutanese actor in exile.

With a main slogan ‘Let’s respect art and artistry’, the program also saw the presentations of different hidden talents where the artists performed songs, dances and poems. They also staged a drama to highlight the story of resettled folks and threw satire on the food aid shortage.

A collection of poem named ‘Abiral Aansu’ (meaning- continuous tears) written by the Bhutanese poet Mani Ram Dhimal “Dipit” was released amidst the function attended by thousands of people.

The camp secretary of Sanischare refugee camp, Champa Sing Rai, journalist Jeeten Muskan and former camp secretary of Sanischare camp Menuka Nepal spoke about the book, and status of the present Bhutanese literature.

Despite tight security in movement in camps, various groups were seen performing dance program, mainly deusi-bhailo (typical tradition songs along with dance to mark Laxmi puja)

Meanwhile, Sanischare branch of Bhutanese Refugee Children Forum (BRCF) has organised singing competition among children in the camp.

By Arjun Pradhan and Lakpa/BNS

Oct 16: Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) has stated that it has identified those who planted an improvised explosive device in a bunker in Gaden village, Umling.

RBA source has claimed that those suspects were Maoist militants from Beldangi refugee camp in Jhapa, Nepal.

The device, which exploded at around 6:40 am on October 12, injured two RBA soldiers. According to RBA, those attackers were identified as Nirpa Raj Rai and Bhim Raj Subedi.

A press statement issued by RBA further said that those attackers were assisted by Rajeev Boro, a NDFB militant of Rangjihora, Bogaigaon, Assam. Meanwhile, the Gelephu police have requested the SSB and the Assam police to apprehend the militants, who had entered their territory after the incident.

The militants had taken away two riffles carried by the soldiers.

Kathmandu, October 16: The country’s first online radio in exile has started streaming from 10 a.m. today.

Launched with an aim of connecting the Bhutanese worldwide, radiobhutanonline.com now has Saranarthi Sarokar, and some other segments including programs in Dzongkha will be added in near future.

Ichha Poudel, editor of the portal stated that the online radio, which is owned by Bhutan Media Society (BMS), is a joint initiative of journalists associated with BMS, APFA-Bhutan and Bhutan News Service.

“It is a new begin to inform the Bhutanese citizens through online radio programs,” said Poudel.

Oct 15: World Food Programme (WFP) has said that the UN will cut food aid to thousands of refugees from Bhutan living in camps in Nepal due to severe food and funding shortages.

The WFP said with the “rapidly” diminishing food stocks it needed $4mn from donors to prevent additional cuts and continue feeding the refugees through to January 2010.

“We are extremely concerned about the consequences of reduced rations on the health of the refugees,” Richard Ragan, WFP Nepal chief, said in a statement.

“Without their full ration, the most vulnerable refugees will be forced to eat fewer meals or decrease portion sizes, leading to reduced nutritional status,” reads the statement.

Oct 15, 2009 – “I hope I’m not alone in believing that it has been a successful one,” said Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley at the closing of the three-day democracy conference in Paro yesterday.

International participants, who spoke to Kuensel at the end of the conference, said the event had succeeded. “It struck a chord,” said a panelist participant of the conference, Chulani Kodikara, especially with her country just emerging after a 30-year civil war. Kodikara, a researcher for the international centre for ethnic studies in Sri Lanka, said, “I don’t believe we have peace yet, we’re at a stage when it’s very difficult to talk about the conflict and our experience of and how to deepen democracy in Sri Lanka.”

Dr Nitasha Kaul, one of the keynote speakers at the conference, said it was encouraging to see politicians, government officials, the media, and even students in attendance, and learning from one another’s experiences with democracy. Dr Kaul, a researcher at the university of Westminster, said it was also wonderful to see how serious Bhutan’s effort at democracy is and the positive reaction by Bhutanese towards it.

Another keynote speaker at the conference, Henry S Richardson, a philosophy professor at George Washington university, said he was inspired and fascinated by the effort to integrate gross national happiness (GNH) with democracy.

“I’m glad to learn that, in the GNH approach, good governance is an element of happiness and that people will have a hand in making policy.” Richardson also added that it was inspiring to know that Asian countries were finding their own approaches towards achieving good governance through democracy.

“This conference was unique in that it was for the first time we had such a complete mix of government representatives, parliamentarians, academics and thinks, civil society protagonists, media persons and interested individuals,” said the prime minister. “What was particularly noteworthy was the frank, uninhibited and most cordial manner in which prolonged deliberations took place, both within the confines of this room and outside in the hallways and at the dining tables, and perhaps, in some of the local bars.”

“Yet we continue to be perplexed and challenged, both conceptually and in practice, by what it really means and how best it can serve societal interests,” said the prime minister. Many other Bhutanese participants of the conference also reflected the prime minister’s observation that some of the concepts and ideas discussed at the conference were confusing for a citizenry only one year into democracy.

Some topics discussed at the conference included whether the system is an end in itself or a means to a higher goal, and whether the practice of democracy could be different, depending on the context of a country.

“What we all seem to agree is that democracy everywhere is at risk and that it’s an ongoing process along perilous paths, giving reasons for some to choose more alternative, ‘predictable options’,” said the prime minister. “There isn’t a perfect democracy and probably will never be, at least, not of the kind that we can all accept as the perfect model,” added the prime minister, “to each its own, is what we generally must accept, it seems.”

Holding such conferences is a way to battle threats to democracy, said the prime minister. “It’s through common endeavours like this that we, as actors in our respective fields, can contribute to making our individual democracies function a little better.” The prime minister then announced that the international conference would continue next year in the Maldives. Referring to the vice president of the Maldives, Mohammed Waheed Hassan, who also attended the conference, the prime minister, said, “He has given us assurances that, unlike the cabinet session, which is being held under water this week, our meeting will be held on the firm surface of one of its many coral islands.”

“We’re going to be taking quite a lot back,” said deputy country director for UNDP in Nepal, Jorn Sorensen. The UNDP representative said that Nepal is preparing for elections next year along with its constitution. “The Nepali delegation may be able to adopt some of the best practices discussed here at the conference,” said Sorensen. “Much appreciated,” he added, “by both the UN in Nepal and the Nepali delegation.”

The conference was held in Bhutan on the occasion of its peaceful transition to democracy.

Source: Kuensel Online

Oct 14: International Red cross Society (IRS) has stated that it has helped the relatives of 40 refugees to visit their relatives in the Bhutanese jails in a period of nine months.

“There isn’t any branch of IRS in Bhutan. Hence, the IRS branches in Kathmandu and New Delhi have been assisting the Bhutanese in exile to send and receive news from the Bhutanese prisons,” said Lalit Khatiwada, the program officer of the IRS’s Bhutanese refugee assistance program.

However, Bhutan has granted permission to the IRS to visit only the central jail-Chemgang located in Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Besides Chemgang, there are other 18 jails in Bhutan.

October 14: King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk has been ranked the world’s third most attractive leader, according to the satirical Hottest Heads of State blog.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been placed in the first position followed by Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko came in at No. 12, beating U.S. President Barack Obama who was ranked 15th and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was 18th.

Damak, October 14: Damak-based Nepal Police arrested five persons including former camp secretary of Beldangi-II camp, Deoraj Pradhan yesterday evening from a local lodge.

Police arrested Pradhan along with Makar Bahadur Gurung of Beldangi-II sector I-I/78 and three other Nepali nationals registered in Gurung’s hut.

Inspector Nabin Karki told Bhutan News Service that a special task force arrested Phadendra Gurung and Rudra Bahadur Gurung of Dhankutta, and Uttam Gurung of Gongabu, Kathmandu from a lodge following a tip-off.

According to police sources, Pradhan played a leading role in registering those Nepali citizens in Gurung’s hut and are receiving ration since eight months.

By Arjun Pradhan

Source: Kuensel Online

13 October, 2009 – Participants from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and South Africa shared their experiences with democracy on the first day of the international democracy conference being held in Paro, which saw extensive discussions on the foundations of democracy.

The Bhutanese constitution’s provision of a two party system is a good start, but people who do not subscribe to the two parties could face a lack of outlets and policy making, said Dr Narayan Khadka, a member of the constituent assembly of Nepal.

“If you don’t give them the opportunity to participate, they might look for other outlets, which could be volatile,” he said. “The lesson from the Nepali experience,” said Dr Khadka, “is that you mustn’t restrict, democracy should be open and transparent, ensure every citizen’s access to the government.”

Speaking on the foundations of democracy, Professor Henry S Richardson, department of philosophy, George Washington university, said the separation of church (religion) and state should be re-thought, especially because of an absence of values in society today.

Although not calling for the elimination of the secularity of the state, Professor Richardson said, he did not think democracy alone was an ideal system. “The role of religion in politics could serve as a critique, and contribute to the democratic process,” he said.

National council member of Trashigang, Sonam Kinga, also addressed the conference on the formation process of the Bhutanese constitution.

Asked how people of different faiths of Bhutan had reacted to the constitution’s link with Buddhism during the question-answer period, Sonam Kinga said the Constitution does not prescribe a state religion, although it acknowledges that Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan. He said that the secular tendencies of the Bhutanese state are upheld by the constitutional provision that pre-requires religion and politics to be separate. He also pointed out article 7.4 of the constitution, which, he said, is a strong statement concerning the Bhutanese state’s accommodation of different faiths.

Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi, who attended the conference, said the most significant aspect of yesterday’s conference, for him personally, was on respecting diversity, which the Constitution of Bhutan already addressed adequately. He also said that another aspect, discussed yesterday, was that there is no form of perfect democracy. “It was insightful to hear that we can have our own kind of democracy,” said the minister.

UNDP assistant administrator, Ajay Chhibber, asked about what areas of democracy in Bhutan could be improved. He said Bhutan was doing very well on development indicators, and that it would not take long for Bhutan to catch up to other countries, since most democracies are still “imperfect”.

But he added that Bhutan needed better disaster management, and that the government needed to be prepared for future disasters. He said an immediate way to improve democracy in Bhutan is to “build back better,” referring to the reconstruction process.

The international conference will continue discussions on the experiences with democracy of participating countries today. Civic rights and participation will also be discussed during the afternoon.

The conference on deepening and sustaining democracy is organised by the centre for Bhutan studies and funded by UNDP.

By Gyalsten K Dorji, Paro