Sotang family rocks Beldangi

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Thousands of exiled Bhutanese gathered to rock three Beldangi camps Saturday as they received Uday and Manila Sotang for a historic concert to mark this year’s Dashara festival.

Uday, Manila Sotang in the stage

Organised jointly by the Youth Friendly Center (YFC), camp management committee of Beldangi camps and local artist and friends of exiled Bhutanese Prakash Angdambe, several have marked the event as one of the largest gatherings achieved so far in any kind of public programs in the refugee camps.

Over 15000 exiled Bhutanese gathered at Beldangi-II Extension Gumba ground from 3 pm until 6:30 pm yesterday to enjoy the Sotang concert, informed Monarath Pokhrel, YFC assistant program coordinator.

Exiled Bhutanese at the event

Bhutanese singer Pratap Subba sang the welcome song – bandhanko chino during the event chaired by Camp Secretary D.B. Subba. Chairperson of the Bhutanese Refugee Representative Repatriation Committee Dr Bhampa Rai was the chief guest of the program.

Shreeya Sotang, who has been regarded as an emerging young singer in the Nepalese music industry, also presented half a dozen of Nepali songs.

Nandi Kishore Siwakoti, Ram Gurung and Karna Gurung from America, Arjun Rasaily from Australia, Jash Justin of British charity HWH and Thugten Drukpa, and their organizations provided financial supports for the program.

The Bhutan News Service and Media Network Bhutan were the concert’s official media partners.

India-Bhutan renew bilateral MoU

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The two Chief Election Commissioners Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a period of five years to facilitate exchange of knowledge and experience, information, material, expertise and technical knowhow, training of personnel and development of human resources in electoral matters and also for taking up joint initiatives and providing assistance to others.

CEC of Bhutan (left) with his Indian counterpart

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Dr. S. Y. Quraishi offered to create a SAARC Resource Centre at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management for preserving and nurturing election related documentation in relation to SAARC countries. The Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan welcomed the idea and presented the first set of documents for this Resource Centre.

The CEC of Bhutan Kunzang Wangdi requested for training of their newly inducted officers through the IIDEM platform in India. Dr. Quraishi agreed to the request and offered to train Bhutanese election officials during the process of forthcoming State elections, according to a statement issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The CEC of India was impressed by the initiative of Election Commission of Bhutan in engaging school children for educating and persuading their parents to take part in the electoral process. Dr. Quraishi offered to adopt the model in India.

Election Commission of Bhutan also organized field visits for the Indian delegation to give them a first-hand appreciation of the district level election functionaries.

“Dr. Quraishi paid a courtesy call on the officiating Prime Minister of Bhutan, Yeshy Zimba, during which both sides exchanged views on strengthening electoral, democratic and governance processes between India and Bhutan,” the statement said.

The CEC also held informal consultations with Senior Cabinet Ministers, Leader of the Opposition, Supreme Court Judges, Cabinet Secretary and other dignitaries of Bhutan, added the statement.

“During these meetings, the Bhutanese side conveyed to the CEC their appreciation of ECI’s support to introduction of representative democracy in Bhutan.”

PM Thinley reaches Japan from NY; Noda pledges Bhutan democratic aid

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Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinely has reached the Japanese capital Tokyo Monday after completing his New York trip.

PM offers prayers in Soma City, Japan, where more than 5,000 homes were damaged by the earthquake and tsunami disasters earlier this year (Picture : Kuensel)

Upon his arrival in Japan, the Prime Minister called on his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda, the online edition of The Japan Times (TJT) reported.

Japanese PM Noda told Bhutanese PM Thinley on Monday that Japan would continue to help democracy take root in the Himalayan country and support its efforts toward economic and social development, the news report said quoting the Foreign Ministry officials.

During their 30-minute talk in Tokyo, Noda expressed to Thinley his condolences over damage caused by the earthquake that hit Bhutan earlier this month, added the report.

Meanwhile, PM Thinley responded that the quake damage was limited, while adding that the purpose of his visit to Japan was to express his solidarity with people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Thinley also made a trip Tuesday to the city of Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, home to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant crippled by the March disasters, reported TJT.

MNB completes ‘discovering the undiscovered’

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The Media Network Bhutan exhibited at least 43 photographs taken by facilitators and participants during the weeklong photography training. The two-day exhibition that ended on Saturday was held with a theme “discovering the undiscovered” at Nepal Druggist and Chemist Hall in Damak attracted over 1500 visitors, General Executive of the Network informed. Local artist Prakash Angdambe was co-organizer of the event. Click here for all pictures at exhibition.

Visitors and guests at the inaugural session

 

L.P.Joshi, the chief guest takes picture of the photographs on exhibition (Picture : MNB)
Visitors at the exhibition (Picture Courtesy : MNB)

Bhutanese organize cultural show in VA

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Bhutanese in Richmond, Virginia organized annual cultural program today at the Richmond’s First Baptist Church, 2970 Monument Ave.

According to the organizer, the program was organized on the eve of upcoming Dashain and Dipwali (Hindu’s two of the biggest festivals). Artist from Charlottesville, Hampton, Newport News cities of Virginia and North Carolina rocked the stage with various performances.

On the occasion, Narveda  Adhikari, 89, eldest Bhutanese in Richmond, was honored.

Meanwhile, the organizing committee also honored seven Bhutanese students who recently graduated high school from Richmond with Khada.

According to Om Prakash Adhikari, Vice President of Richmond Bhutanese Society, the event was organized to bring better cooperation among Bhutanese and to preserve cultural values.

An estimated seven hundred Bhutanese attended the function.

Reported by Dadiram Neopaney for BNS from Richmond.

Nepali PM calls on his Bhutanese counterpart

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Nepalese Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai met PM Jigmi Y Thinely in New York, Thursday.

Dr Bhattarai (left) and PM Thinley

During the meeting, the two prime ministers discussed about the solution of the problem of the exiled Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, media reports from Nepal say.

According to the report, promotion of bilateral relations between the two countries was also in the agenda of the meeting.

However, Bhutanese media from inside have not covered news about this meeting.

भूकम्पले एक जनाको ज्यान लियो, अरु चार घाइते

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भारतको सिक्किममा केन्द्र रहेको ६.८ रिक्टर स्केलको शक्तिशाली भूकम्पले भूटानमा कम्तिमा एक जनाको ज्यान लिएको छ भने चार जना घाइते भएका छन् ।

पछिल्लो चोटी प्राप्त समाचारअनुसार भूकम्पमा परी छुकामा खोलाबाट पानी ल्याउने क्रममा एक जना ४३ वर्षीय महिलाको ज्यान गएको छ । उनी झर्दै गरेका चट्टानहरुको प्रहारमा परेकी थिइन् ।

प्रभावित क्षेत्रहरु

अरु चार जना घाइतेहरु उत्तरी भूटानको हा जिल्लाका बासिन्दा रहेका छन् । उनीहरुको नेसनल रेफरल हस्पिटल, थिम्पुमा उपचार भैरहेको छ । सख्त घाइते भएका तीन जना महिला भाषा तथा संस्कृति संस्थान, सिम्थोखाका विद्यार्थी भएको जनाइएको छ ।

भूकम्पका कारण पारोमा ताजोंगले केही संरचनात्मक क्षति बेहोरेको छ भने फुन्छोलिंगमा केही भवनहरु चर्किएका छन् ।

फुन्छोलिंगमा भू-क्षयले अस्पतालतर्फ गुड्दै गरेको एउटा कार पुरिदिएको छ । कारका चालक भने उम्कन सफल भएका छन् ।

दागानामा भूकम्पले लेजाब गाउँको फुन्सुम सामुदायिक प्राथमिक विद्यालयमा क्षति पुर्याएको छ ।

उता साम्चीमा करिव एक दर्जन घरहरुमा क्षति पुगेको छ भने बारामा केही घरहरु ढलेका छन् ।

छुकामा चार वटा विद्यालय, तीनवटा प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य चौकी र तीनवटा आरएनआर केन्द्रहरु क्षतिग्रस्त भएका छन् ।

उता दागानामा दुईवटा आरएनआर केन्द्र, तीनवटा विद्यालय, पांचवटा सामुदायिक केन्द्र र एउटा प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य चौकीमा क्षति पुगेको छ ।

सिक्किमको राजधानी गान्तोकदेखि करिव ६४ कि.मि टाढा प्रमुख केन्द्र रहेको उक्त भूकम्पले पूर्वी भारत, भुटान र नेपालमा धेरै जनाको ज्यान लियो, सैयौंलाई घाइते बनायो अनि असंख्य पूर्वाधारहरुमा क्षति पुर्यायो । फोनको नेटवर्कसमेत अवरुद्ध भएकाले यकिन विवरण अझैसम्म प्राप्त भैसकेको छैन ।

यसैबीच, प्रधानमन्त्री जिग्मी वाई थिन्लेले अरु सम्भावित प्रकोपहरुबाट भगवानले रक्षा गर्छन् भन्दै फेसबुकमार्फत देशबासीहरुलाई शान्त रहन आग्रह गरेका छन् ।

Quake leaves one dead, four injured

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The powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale that was centered in Sikkim, India has killed at least one and left four injured in Bhutan.

Latest reports coming in say that a 43-year-old woman was killed in Chhukha while she was fetching water from a river side. Falling boulders hit her and buried her.

Affected areas.

The four injured were reported in Haa, a northern part of Bhutan. They have been undergoing treatment at the National Referral Hospital in Thimphu. The three women who have been seriously injured were all students of the institute of language and culture studies in Semtokha.

In Paro, the Ta dzong (administrative unit) suffered some structural damage, while some buildings in Phuentsholing town have also cracked from the tremor.

A massive landslide in Phuentsholing buried a Spark car while it was heading towards hospital. The driver managed to escape.

In Dagana, the quake has damaged Phunsum community primary school in Lajab village.

In Samtshe, nearly a dozen houses in three villages were reported damaged. Similarly, in Bara village, some houses were collapsed.

Also in Chhukha, four schools, three Basic Health Units, and three RNR centers have been damaged.

Similarly, Dagana saw damage of two RNR centers, three schools, five village centers and a Basic Health Unit.

The quake’s epicenter was 64km from Gangtok, Sikkim, India that left many people dead, hundreds injured and numerous infrastructures collapsed in eastern part of India, Bhutan and Nepal. The exact data could not be found as the cellular network was severely disrupted.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley on Facebook has urged the people of Bhutan to remain calm as the god would protect them from any further disaster.

पुनर्बासमा पेन्जोर पनि

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डुक नेश्नल काँग्रेस डेमोक्रेटिकाका अध्यक्ष थिन्ले पेन्जोर श्रीमती डिकी योन्जनसहित केही दिन अघि झापाको भद्रपुर विमानस्थलबाट तेस्रो मुलुक पुनर्वासका लागि अमेरिकातर्फ लाग्नु भएको छ ।

पेन्जोर

झापाको बिर्तामोडबाट भुटानी आन्दोलन र मानब अधिकारका पक्षमा वाकलत गर्दै आएका पेन्जोरलाई अन्तराष्ट्रिय आप्रबासी संस्था आइ. ओ. एमले काडमाण्डौस्थित ट्रान्जिट क्याम्पमा राखेको छ भने उनको अमेरिका यात्राबारे जानकारी गोप्य राखिएको छ ।

करिव एक महिनाअघि मात्र सोही पार्टी डुक नेश्नल काँग्रेस डेमोक्रेटिकका प्रवक्ता नारद अधिकार अमेरिकाको न्यू हाँम्सायरमा सपरिवार पुर्नवाश भइसकेका छन् ।

ट्रान्जिट क्याम्पमा रहेका पेन्जोरसंग भुटान समाचार सेवाले सम्पर्क गर्न सकेन ।

पेन्जोर भुटानमा प्रजातन्त्र र मानब अधिकार वहालीको लागि संघर्ष गर्न भनी बनेको एक तीन दलिय गठबन्धनका नेता पनि हुन् । भुटान पिपुल्स पार्टी, भुटान गोर्खा राष्टिय मुक्ति मोर्चा र डुक नेशनल कँग्रेस डेमोक्रेटिकको संयुक्त मोर्चा नेशनल फन्ट फर डेमोक्रेसी एनएफडीले केही वर्षअघि शरणार्थी स्वदेश फिर्तीको लागि लङ मार्च अभियान समेत चलाएको थियो ।

PM Thinley congratulates UNSG; invites him to visit Bhutan

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Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, who is in the United States of America since last week, has congratulated the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Ban Ki-moon on his appointment in the executive post for the second term.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Lyonchoen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan. (Picture courtesy :UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras)

During the meeting with UNSG on September 16, the Prime Minister also invited him to plan a trip to Bhutan at a suitable time, wrote the online edition of the Kuensel.

The news portal also claimed that the PM’s meeting with the Secretary General was the first meeting with the head of state since the start of the 66th UN General Assembly session.

“The secretary general expressed his best wishes to His Majesty the King for his upcoming wedding in October, and assured that the UN stands ready to provide any support to Bhutan’s socio-economic development process based on the concept of GNH,” wrote the Kuensel.

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