Chandra Chhetri, 21, yet another resettled young adult Bhutanese in Baltimore, MD took his own life this week.
According to the family source, Chandra left home on Monday. The family did not have reasons to suspect and thought he went to his job. But when he did not return until Tuesday evening, the family informed the police at around 8 pm about his missing.
At around 1:00 am of Wednesday, the police reported back that his car was found parked near small woods of Dundalk. Later that morning, at 11 am the police confirmed his death as a self ended.
He was resettled in Baltimore on November 21, 2009. He is survived by his parents, and a younger sister and brother. The reason for his suicide is not known.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide in the United States, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.
Dusky 1990 Entertainment, a movie studio established by independent and growing Bhutanese artists in Washington, has announced an open scriptwriting competition, and called for entries in both Nepali and English from across the world.
Sponsored by IFACAINS International Foundation (IIF), a Bhutanese artists’ forum, the competition will accept scripts for 15-minutes long short film. The best entry will be awarded a cash price of Nepalese rupees 20,000 ($210 equivalent), the organizer informed.
The group plans to make a short movie of the best script, which can be sent to the various short film festival and more importantly to the motivated the writer.
Rinzin Dorji has been elected as new president of the Druk National Congress – Democratic (DNC-D) to replace its founding president Thinley Penjore. Dorji was leading the party as vice-president following resettlement of Penjore in the United States.
Rinzin Dorji
A statement issued by the party from Jhapa stated that DNC reshuffled the party’s portfolios, its supporting and affiliated organizations, and also amplified the central committee members with effect from Nov. 15.
The new set-up is that Karma Chhoejay was nominated as vice-president, and Karjay as the party’s general secretary. Similarly, Pema Choeda has been nominated to lead the Druk National Forum for Human Rights (DNFHR), and Rabten as youth general secretary.
The party also said that it also nominated some new faces in its central committee.
“After taking an oath 11 central committee members expressed their commitment to struggle for the political change in the country,” said the party’s statement.
Meanwhile, DNC-D also said it has issued annually renewable membership cards to the 10 new active members.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay returned to the country Saturday from Thailand upon completing his four-days-long official visit.
PM Tobgay walks with his Thai counterpart as he receives guard of honor (Picture courtesy: Thailandnewsworth.wordpress.com)
“Back home after a successful visit to Thailand. Many thanks to PM Pou Yingluck and Thai government,” twitted PM Tobgay from Thimphu.
At the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Tobgay reached Bangkok on Nov. 13.
While in Thailand, the Prime Minister held official talks with his Thai counterpart and met with other senior government officials, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.
The two countries also signed theTrade and Economic Cooperation Agreement during the visit, and is expected to further promote trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
PM Tobgay was accompanied by his wife, Minister for Economic Affairs Norbu Wangchuk and other senior officials, and his wife.
Madhu Kadel, 27, a former Bhutanese refugee committed suicide this Saturday.
According to Kiran Pele, a member of the Bhutanese Nepali Community of Rochester (BNCR), late Kadel was friendly and a talented person who presented the popular Nepali song “Thokna Madaal Thok” at the cultural event hosted by BNCR on November, 2.
The deceased was resettled in Rochester, NY two and an half years ago from Goldhap refugee camp.
Late Kadel is survived by his parents, wife and three-weeks-old daughter. Until the filing of this news, the actual cause of his death was unknown.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.
गत महिना अमेरिकी सरकार सट-डाउनका कारण भूटानी शरणार्थी पुनर्स्थापना सन् २००८ पछिको तेस्रो कम भएको छ । सन् २०१३ अक्टोबरमा २ सय ६९ मात्र अमेरिकामा पुनर्स्थापित भएका छन् । पुनर्स्थापना सुरु भएको महिना सन् २००८ मार्चमा १ सय ७ र अप्रिलमा १ सय २३ पुनर्स्थापित भएयताको यो कम हो ।
यी तीन महिनाबाहेक सन् २०११ अप्रिलमा ४ सय १५, सन् २००८ मे महिनामा ४ सय ४१ र सन् २०१३ जनवरीमा ४ सय ५२ अमेरिकामा पुनर्स्थापित भएको तथ्याङ्क स्टेट डिपार्टमेन्टसँग छ ।
सन् २०१३ अक्टोबर अन्तिमसम्म अमेरिकामा ७० हजार ६ सय ७ पुनर्स्थापित भएका छन् । सन् २०१२ अक्टोबरमा सुरु भएर सन् २०१३ सेप्टेम्बर अन्तिममा सकिएको आर्थिक वर्षमा विभिन्न मुलुकबाट अमेरिकाले कुल ६९ हजार ९ सय ३० शरणार्थी पुनर्स्थापित गराएको थियो । त्यो करिब ७० हजारमा सबभन्दा बढी इराकी १९ हजार ४ सय ९१, दोस्रो स्थानमा बर्मेली १६ हजार २ सय ९९ र तेस्रो स्थानमा नेपाली-भाषी भूटानी ९ हजार १ सय ३४ अमेरिकामा पुनर्स्थापित भएका हुन् ।
अमेरिकामा वर्षेनी विभिन्न मुलुकका ७० देखि ८० हजारसम्म शरणार्थी पुनर्स्थापित हुने गर्छन् । सन् १९७५ यता सन् २०१३ सेप्टेम्बर अन्तिमसम्म अमेरिकाले ३१ लाख १२ हजार ६ सय २ शरणार्थीलाई पुनर्स्थापित गराएको छ ।
A team of business delegates, officials of Czech Chamber of Commerce, representative of senate, Prague zoo and Czech media led by Foreign minister H.E Jan Kohout visits Bhutan from November 8-10, 2013, as part of south-Asia tour by the Foreign minister. The foreign minister is accompanied by Deputy minister of environment Mr. Tomas Tesar.
Minister Jan Kohout
According to a press statement issued by the Czech embassy in New Delhi dated November 6, the visit is the first official one by Czech minister after diplomatic relation between Bhutan and Czech republic was established in December 2011. The visit is aimed to deepen the bilateral dialogue and support the business and development cooperation. According to Kuensel, the czech delegates meets with the bhutanese entrepreneurs and have discussion on various areas of investment like sugar industry, real estate, ICT, health and tourism.
One delegate and sales representative with ZVU Potez, Franktisek Vaigl said, “Discussion with Bhutanese company have been going on for six months and it is about beer.” The BCCI secretary general Phub Tshering explained about the areas of cooperation which Bhutan seeks to get from the Czech republic.
The press statement of Czech embassy received by BNS from an unofficial email reads, “Minister Jan Kohout is meeting with the Prime minister of Bhutan and also with ministers of Home and cultural affairs, Minister of economic affairs, Education minister, Foreign minister and the Secretary of National Environment Commission. Minister Kohout will also seek audience with HM King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk and Queen mother Her Majesty Sangay Choden Wangchuk”.
The press statement further reads, “The Czech Republic is ready to offer the investment together with financial assistance provided by the Czech Export Bank, in the most prosperous sector such as hydro-power and renewable energy, tourism, civil aviation or food processing.” In 2008, Czech Republic financed the project, ‘Voices’ aimed at empowering women in villages of Bhutan that was carried out by RENEW. This year, the funded project was ‘Mass Disaster Preparedness’ in schools carried out in collaboration with Department of Disaster Management and Department of School Education.
A Spencer man, Aldo Dunphe, 23, murdered Ratna Bhattarai, 31, a resettled Bhutanese at Worcester, MA at U Mass Memorial Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon.
Aldo W. Dunphe, right, with his lawyer, Michael Hussey, Wednesday in Worcester District Court (Picture courtesy: Telegraph.com)
According to Hari Dhakal, former chairperson of Bhutanese Community of Massachusetts, Bhattarai as a psychiatric patient was in the hospital since ten days prior to the murder.
The suspect, Aldo Dunphe, too is reported to be a psychiatric patient receiving treatment in the same hospital.
According to the Telegram.com, murder-suspect Dunphe admitted to state police investigators that he tried to smother Bhattarai with a pillow and then choked and beat him because the latter reminded him of his biological father.
He is ordered held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on December 11.
Ratna Bhattarai, formerly from Sarbhang district in Bhutan stayed for 18 years in Bhutanese Refugee Camp, Sanischare before he was resettled in the US.
Bhattarai was survived with his mother, sister and nephew. His funeral is scheduled on Nov. 11, venue and time was not known till this report is filled.
Elderly man commits suicide
Another elderly man, Lachu Man Gurung, 76, is reported to have ended his life at 11:30 am Friday in Worcester,MA.
Gurung, formerly from Tshokana Chirang, Bhutan was in Beldangi-II refugee camp in Jhapa, Nepal.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughter-in-laws and seven grandchildren. His funeral is not yet fixed.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.
Birendra Dhakal lost to Ahmed Hassan, a Somali-American candidate, by 18 votes in the city council election of Clarkston city, according to the election result announced Wednesday, November 6.
Dhakal with voters
He secured 197 votes while Ahmed Hassan got 215 votes. The result was obvious as there were more number of Somali immigrants who could vote, while for Birendra it was just few Bhutanese American who became citizens recently.
The result is not a big thing for Birendra, as he mentions: “I lost the election by 18 votes but I definitely gained a valuable knowledge in the process. It was a great opportunity to experience and learn about the way the American election process is conducted. I was lucky to have received strong guidance from my friend, Ted Terry, the Mayor-elect throughout the campaign”.
Clarkston city has all white council members while the Mayor is the only African-American face. The election constituency from which Mr. Dhakal contested in the zip code 30021 is a part of Clarkston city.
According to Birendra, only his family members including him voted, as those few Bhutanese community members who became eligible for voting does not fall in his constituency. He claims to have got most of his voters are Caucasians, African-Americans, Somali and Vietnamese.
In a question to what difference can it make when a Somali-American winning the election, he answers, “My loss does not make any difference in pushing the agenda in council. We need someone from the international community to represent the voice which Ahmed Hassan can do the job.”
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Bhutan (ICHRB), a registered non-profit human rights group claimed that it has started “educating the educated ones” on the other side of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and human rights situation in Bhutan.
“What we are doing will appear as small events, but our efforts to educate the educated ones are definitely more meaningful,” claimed ICHRB Coordinator, Suraj Budathoki.
According to him, the Bhutanese diaspora should teach the hidden side of GNH, and existing human rights situation of Bhutan first to “educated ones”, and then to others.
Suraj Budathoki (2nd from left) with his team and friends outside Harvard University (Picture courtesy: ICHRB)
“We are playing a role of the little Hummingbird in highlighting the plight of Bhutanese refugees, and suppressions we have undergone,” Budathoki added.
Aimed at educating students, professors, and scholars and seeking their supports for raising voices against human rights violation in Bhutan, ICHRB held a panel discussion in the Harvard University South Asian Institute on Oct. 24.
Kevin Caffrey, a Lecturer of Anthropology at Harvard University, who has special interest in South East Asian culture and politics, moderated the discussion. While Narad Adhikari, Massachusetts based Bhutanese refugee leader, responded to questions raised during the discussion.
The discussion yielded a kind of conclusion–a true, vibrant and inclusive democracy could ensure human rights and strengthen country’s socio-economic structure suitable to measure the gross national happiness, but not “undefined” parameters used by the Bhutanese rulers, who have defined GNH to simply suit the elites in power.
The program started with the screening of 54-minutes long documentary film, The Refugee of Shangri-La directed and produced by Doria Bramante.
The non-profit is currently garnering supports from “educated ones” to create stronger foundation for a congressional hearing, which according to Budathoki is possible by organizing similar events in universities and colleges in different states.
Dan Forbs, Director of Service Education Meelia Center for Community Engagement Center for Experiential Learning, also attended the event.
Forbs mentioned that presenters and panelists provided an excellent overview of the history, politics and human experiences involved with the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese citizens from southern Bhutan, their horrible mistreatment by the government of Bhutan, their lives in refugee camps and their experience resettling in New Hampshire.
The outcome of the event was that the following week the students from Saint Anselm College reflected on the presentation and generated a list of specific issues that they identified from the information presented.
“We generated a list of things that they believed they could do to stand in support of the Bhutanese community,” Forbs told Bhutan News Service.
According to him, there was widespread student outrage at what the Bhutanese refugees had been subjected to, and many questions about why their story was not better known or eliciting more response from Americans who are known to cherish freedom and justice got addressed.
“Students are meeting this week with the Bhutanese community representatives and together they will determine if their work will lead to three separate initiatives or if there will be a large campus event designed to accomplish all three goals – campus awareness, community awareness and social action,” he added.
ICHRB is incorporated as a domestic non-profit organization with the Secretary of the State of the New Hampshire since August 2012 with the mission of establishing, promoting and protecting the rights of the Bhutanese citizens by engaging and involving international human rights organization and individuals.
According to the family source, Chandra left home on Monday. The family did not have reasons to suspect and thought he went to his job. But when he did not return until Tuesday evening, the family informed the police at around 8 pm about his missing.
