Bhutan News archive for 04 February 2008

Declaration By United Revolutionary Front, Bhutan (Scoop.co.nz)
After careful study of the manifestation of the political development in Bhutan and the future impact, we have come to the conclusion that all the new changes which so much is being hyped is just cosmetic and in reality is not going tobenefit all the Bhutanese except a small section.

Bomb attack in Bhutan ahead of first polls: police (AFP via Yahoo! News)
A powerful explosion rocked the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the latest in a string of blasts ahead of landmark elections next month, a police spokesman said.

Bomb hits Bhutan, rebels warn of more attacks (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
A bomb exploded in Bhutan on Monday, the latest in a string of blasts blamed on ethnic Nepali exiles and designed to disrupt the Himalayan kingdom’s first-ever parliamentary poll next month, police said.

13 Bhutanese for Mumbai BPO (Kuensel)
3 February, 2008 – Thirteen young Bhutanese will start their working careers in the Indian city of Mumbai working for a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company or what is commonly known as a call centre.

Bomb attack in Bhutan ahead of first polls: police (Straits Times)
GUWAHATI (India) – A POWERFUL explosion rocked the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan on Monday, the latest in a string of blasts ahead of landmark elections next month, a police spokesman said.

Bomb hits Bhutan, rebels warn of more attacks (AlertNet)
Source: Reuters By Biswajyoti Das GUWAHATI, India, Feb 4 (Reuters) – A bomb exploded in Bhutan on Monday, the latest in a string of blasts blamed on ethnic Nepali exiles and designed to disrupt the …

Nepal issues exit permits to Bhutanese refugees for third country settlement (Nepalnews. com)
The Nepal government has issued exit permits to Bhutanese refugees who have opted for third country resettlement. This allows refugees to leave the camps in eastern Nepal for third countries once their cases are accepted.

Explosion rocks Bhutan again, 2 live bombs defused (IBN live)
Police recovered and defused two live bombs near the blast site.

Bhutanese a perplexed lot as democracy takes roots (New Kerala)
Kathmandu, Feb 1: The recent spate in a flurry of political activities in the tiny Himalanyan Kingdom of Bhutan is adding to confusion in rural Bhutan as people strive to come to terms with democratic practices.

Bhutan’s ethnic cleansing (The New Statesman)
Bhutan’s image as an otherworldly and harmonious kingdom was rocked on 20 January by coordinated bomb blasts in the capital, Thimpu, and three other locations.

Bomb blast in Samtse
Breaking news 4 February, 2008 –
Twelve days after four bombs exploded in four different dzongkags, another bomb exploded in Samtse last night.

There is such a thing as a free lunch!

The snowball ticket to a free meal

4 February, 2008 – Here’s a way to get a free meal in Bumthang at the height of winter.
If you relish red rice with shakam (dried beef), ezay (traditional pickle) and suja (butter tea), put together small quantities of all these ingredients that would make a meal.

Local deity sparks off water war

4 February, 2008 – Fights for water during the transplanting season are common in Bhutan but for Lhadon, 59, from Trong Pam in Zhemgang, her battle is for drinking water. And it has been dragging on for three years.

Song and dance duo wins global award (again)

4 February, 2008 – Fondly known as Tashi among his colleagues, Toshihiro Tanaka, deputy resident representative of UNDP, entered Bhutan four years ago, a stranger yearning to learn about the country’s tradition and culture.

Embezzler gets 5 years

4 February, 2008 – The Zhemgang district court sentenced the former branch assistant of Bhutan Development Finance Corporation Limited (BDFCL) in Zhemgang to five years in prison for embezzling about Nu 800,000 of the corporation’s funds.

Breeding a new fungi-resistant maize variety at Lingmethang

Maize trials are on in the fields of Mongar

4 February, 2008 – Researchers with the Renewable Natural Resources Research Centre in Wengkhar, Mongar, have initiated a programme to come up with a maize variety to resist the turcicum leaf blight and gray leaf spots fungal diseases, that were reported in the past two years.

13 Bhutanese for Mumbai BPO

3 February, 2008 – Thirteen young Bhutanese will start their working careers in the Indian city of Mumbai working for a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company or what is commonly known as a call centre.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Not just business as usual

3 February, 2008 – Bhutan Carbide and Chemicals Ltd. and Bhutan Ferro Alloy Ltd. have built a community school in Pasakha so employees do not have to worry about their children’s education. In the process, even children in surrounding communities benefit from the initiative.

Who killed the cranes?
Update 3 February, 2008 –
There is no clear evidence if predators killed the nine black-necked cranes at their roosting grounds in Phobjikha, Wangduephodrang, between November 15 and December 4 last year, according to an investigation report by the forestry department.