Bhutan News archive for 09 November 2007

Resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to US begins (IANS via Yahoo! India News)
Thimphu, Nov 8 (IANS) The process of resettlement of hundreds of Bhutanese refugees living in camps in neighbouring Nepal to the US has begun and the first batch is expected to migrate by January next year.

Resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to US begins (EARTHtimes.org)
Thimphu, Nov 8 – The process of resettlement of hundreds of Bhutanese refugees living in camps in neighbouring Nepal to the US has begun and the first batch is expected to migrate by January next year.

Bhutan refugees are ‘intimidated’ (BBC News)
Bhutanese refugees in Nepal face “severe intimidation” ever since plans to resettle them in the West were announced, a US official says.

Paying of bills to be less of a pain (Kuensel)
8 November, 2007 – Come 2008 and Thimphu residents will not have to stand in queue or go to the Bhutan Power Corporation’s (BPC) service counter to clear their electricity bills.

Resettlement Of Bhutanese Refugees In Nepal (Scoop.co.nz)
The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are laying the groundwork for the large-scale resettlement of Bhutanese refugees living in camps in Nepal following the Government’s announcement that they can go to other countries.

Banking on votes, for a change (Kuensel)
8 November, 2007 – In what could arguably be described as the first foray into politics from the Bhutanese corporate world, four mid-career bankers have quit their jobs to join the fray.

Resettlement process of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal begins (People’s Daily)
The process of a third country resettlement for Bhutanese refugees living in eastern Nepal has begun with the mass information campaign in all the camps, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Tuesday. The c …

Process for third country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees begins (Nepalnews. com)
The process for large scale third country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees living in eastern Nepal has begun with the mass information campaign in all the camps, UNHCR today said.

UN in Nepal launches information campaign for Bhutan refugees (EARTHtimes.org)
Kathmandu – The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday launched an information campaign for refugees from Bhutan living in camps in eastern Nepal, ahead of their long-awaited large-scale resettlement in third countries. The United Nations High Comm…

Colts ready for a big bash against Bhutan (Indian Express via Yahoo! India News)
The Indian under-16 football side has been creating waves after thrashing more fancied outfits like Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, but their task is not yet over as they have to get past the last barrier in the form of Bhutan in the ongoing AFC under-16 qualifiers in Saudi Arabia. Though the boys do not have an uphill task on Wednesday when they take on neighbours Bhutan, the match assumes importance …

Politicians: good people
10 November, 2007 – Civil servants must be apolitical. They should not attend political meetings. That is the ECB ruling. What civil servants are asking is, “What does it mean?”

Chalingpas hang up the butcher’s knives

On Lord Buddha’s Descending Day, butchers no more

9 November, 2007 – When with the onset of winter the nomads of Merak in northern Trashigang move to the warmer valleys, they set up camp at the picturesque village of Chaling in Shongphu gewog.

Getting their priorities right

A school instead of a mule (track)

9 November, 2007 – Remote Dali village in Zhemgang is about a five-day walk from the nearest motor road head. The villagers know that just such a road back home could ease their load.

Chang gewog goes for Yangdon

9 November, 2007 – Chang gewog under Thimphu dzongkhag has nominated Yangdon, 26, from Babesa as a National Council candidate.

Reining in rapid credit growth

At the RMA’s annual meeting with the financial institutions

8 November, 2007 – The rapid credit growth that the country’s commercial banks have been experiencing in recent years is being reined in.

GNH: Internationalised
8 November, 2007 – There is much the rest of the world could learn from Bhutan through its concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which balances growth and sustainable development, said the World Bank’s Managing Director, Mr Graeme Wheeler.

Two new rice varieties next season

Multipurpose rice – high yield, blast-resistant, easy to thresh, straw feed

8 November, 2007 – Farmers in high altitude rice growing regions will be trying two new varieties of rice from the next cultivation season.

Kuenkhen Pema Karpo Thongdrœl
Honouring the founder of Drukpa Kagyud

The biggest thongdrœl in the country

8 November, 2007 – The largest thongdrœl in Bhutan, which is being created at Trashichhodzong, will be completed within a week, according to the coordinator, Gyeltshen.

Banking on votes, for a change
8 November, 2007 – In what could arguably be described as the first foray into politics from the Bhutanese corporate world, four mid-career bankers have quit their jobs to join the fray.

All of them were employees of the Bhutan National Bank and handed in their resignations on October 31.

Asset declaration, yet to take hold
8 November, 2007 – No concrete outcome emerged from the daylong consultative meeting, among almost 50 or so asset administrators from various agencies in Thimphu, that was held on November 5 by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).