International Sources
2009 Human Rights Report: Bhutan – U.S. Department of State
Bhutan is a democratic, constitutional monarchy with a population of approximately 700,000. The current king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, is the head of state, and executive power is vested in the cabinet, headed by the prime minister, Jigme … [read more]
Bhutanese oranges for Bangladesh – FreshPlaza
Bhutan will export oranges and other horticultural products to Bangladesh through India’s northeastern states, officials have said. “The first consignment of oranges would be exported to Sylhet in Bangladesh soon through the Dawki land customs … [read more]
Work to resume (on date of completion) – Kuensel Online
Dzongkhag officials, on the other hand, said they did not propose the bypass either and explained that it was recommended by the then home minister and now prime minister Jigme Y Thinley some time in 2008. A civil servant felt the bypass construction … [read more]
Subsidies only for outgoing and round trips – Kuensel Online
Drukair Fares 12 March, 2010 – Bhutanese travelling abroad were privileged to fly in and out of the country in the national airline at a subsidised rate compared with tourists visiting the country. While this advantage will continue to be extended to … [read more]
Briefing on the Release of the 2009 Country Reports on … – U.S. Department of State
ASSISTANT SECRETARY POSNER: Thank you, Secretary Clinton, and welcome. I want to just, if I may, say a few introductory words about the report and something about the trends we see, and then open it up for questions. The report covers 194 countries … [read more]
‘Tibet’s development on course’ – 环çƒ在线
Beijing: Although the negative impact and the shadow of the March 14, 2008 riot in Lhasa, capital of Tibet autonomous region, will always remain, it won’t affect the region’s development, the mayor of Lhasa told China Daily in an exclusive interview … [read more]
US slams rights abuses in China, NKorea and Iran – France 24
Two ethnic Uighur women pass Chinese paramilitary policemen standing guard in the city of Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang region. The United States on Thursday accused China and Iran of worsening human rights abuses as it raised the alarm about growing … [read more]
Daily record for Friday, March 12 – Grand Island Independent
GOOSIC— To Jason and Cara (Ocker) Goosic of Grand Island, a daughter born March 7 at St. Francis Medical Center. UHRICH — To Jeremy and Cassie (Paro) Uhrich of Grand Island, a daughter born March 4 at St. Francis Medical Center. Grandparents are … [read more]
US human rights report: Hillary Clinton says technology … – The Christian Science Monitor
The State Department airs US concerns about “closing space in China†for pro-democracy and Internet-access activists and highlights rising sexual violence against women across parts of Africa in its annual human rights report on the state of … [read more]
US slams rights abuses in China, Iran – ninemsn
The United States has accused China and Iran of increasing human rights abuses as it raised the alarm about growing anti-Semitism worldwide and discrimination against Muslims in Europe. In its annual report on human rights for 194 countries, the US … [read more]
Kuensel – Bhutan’s National Newspaper
Keeping parties alive is pivotal to democracy
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| Prime Minister is greeted by dzongdags at their conference in Thimphu |
11 March, 2010 – Prime Minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley asked dzongdas from 20 dzongkhags yesterday to take party coordinators on board in the development process at the local level to strengthen democracy.
[read more]
Foreign ministry vies with tourism industry for limited hotel space
SAARC Summit 11 March, 2010 – With just over a month remaining for Bhutan to host the SAARC Summit, the government is stuck in its process of ticking off the list of preparations lined for the national event.
Trashigang Fire Update 11 March, 2010 – The Trashigang fire, which wreaked havoc in the dzongkhag within hours, was brought under control by late yesterday evening, according to Trashigang dzongrab, Dorji Sangay.
[read more]
11 March, 2010 – In what could be a rare case, a 31-year old man from Samtse died of rabies at the Thimphu referral hospital, without any obvious history of animal bite, both wild and domestic, in the last year.
[read more]
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| The prime minister with the Indian ambassador Pavan K Varma and co-organiser Malvika Singh at the opening ceremony |
11 March, 2010 – In an engagement that goes beyond the usual bilateral relations between the two countries, an academic delegation from India will meet with Bhutanese counterparts for a two-day seminar on GNH, which begins today in Thimphu. “We’re here to learn from Bhutan,” said India’s ambassador to Bhutan, Pavan K Varma, at an opening ceremony last night. The ambassador pointed out that this is the first such kind of engagement between the two countries. It went beyond the mechanics of bilateral relations by engaging in the realm of ideas, he said.
Kuensel’s Tashi Dema spent a night with villagers in Tashiling, Sarpang, in her quest to find out how living on the edge is
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| Living On The Edge:Tashiling, Sarpang, fell prey to cross-border banditry this year |
11 March, 2010 – It’s 10 pm and the night is calm and still except for the shrill chirping of the crickets outside.
Astamaya Rai, 54, lies awake in her one-storey hut in Tashiling, Sarpang. Her husband is half asleep in the other corner. A rattle alarms the couple. The husband gets up to check, but Astamaya stops him. Even a slight disturbance around her house is a matter of concern for the mother of nine. The couple has already been robbed and traumatised once last year. Since then, they never had a peaceful sleep. [read more]
18th Annual Dzongda’s Conference 11 March, 2010 – Ministries are taking unilateral decisions in transferring dzongkhag sector staff, even if they are directly under the administration of the dzongkhag, say dzongdas. [read more]
To meet growing demand, the national airline may need another Airbus and a small plane
11 March, 2010 – As the country prepares to accommodate more tourists in another year or two, and with more and more Bhutanese able to afford trips abroad, Bhutan’s national airline, Drukair, is also gearing up for the challenges.
[read more]
11 March, 2010 – Two Namgay Khangzang chortens, measuring about seven and nine feet, and a Jangchub chorten, measuring 12 feet, were vandalised at Khelwongzor, Trashigang on March 6.
[read more]
11 March, 2010 – If there’s something that can be referred to as a second chance, it’s the education ministry’s continuing education programme that is allowing working people to go to school again and upgrade their qualifications and career prospects.
[read more]
Bhutan Observer
Phuentsholing’s architectural identity crisis
From a bird’s eye view, one can barely differentiÂÂate Phuentsholing from the bordering Indian town of Jaigaon. This, town planners and architects say, is because Phuentsholing town suffers from an architectural identity crisis.
Phuentsholing Thrompoen Kinzang Norbu said PhuentÂÂsholing town has little that is Bhutanese because it had been planned before the proper building rules were [...] [read more]
Do you accept homosexuality?
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Second private bank Bhutanese will have a more choice in availing themselves of financial services with the opening of second commercial private bank in the country. T Bank will be launched today in Thimphu. T Bank is a domestic bank promoted by three promoters – Wangchuk Dorji, Topgyal Dorji, and Savitri Dorji of Tashi Group [...] [read more]
Barter not Bhutan
Prime Minister is rightly doubtful about joining WTO. WTO is too huge and consumerist for tiny Bhutan. Its philosophy is free trade, which is consumerist in nature. Consumerism is for huge trading economies, not for a young, rudimentary economy like Bhutan.
Bhutan stands to gain little from free trade because we have little to trade. Today, [...] [read more]
Electricity goes to Merak and Sakteng
Works on electrifying Merak and Sakteng gewogs in TrashiÂÂgang have started, and if things go as planned, the two gewogs will receive electricity by the end of this year.
According to Bhutan PowÂÂer Corporation’s (BPC) DepÂÂuty Manager in Trashigang, Tshewang Rinzin, apart from the 750 households in the two gewogs, villages enroute to the gewogs like [...] [read more]
Former diplomat sentenced
The Thimphu dzongkhag court on February 24 senÂÂtenced Peyma Dorje, first secÂÂretary (Finance) of the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi, India, to one year and six months in prison for emÂÂbezzlement and official misÂÂconduct.
The verdict states that the defendant has knowingly and intentionally committed the offence of embezzlement. Section 287 of the Penal Code [...] [read more]
Wildcard re-entry in Druk Star
The Druk Star show has reached the top 10 stage. Deki Choden and Dophu were eliminated last week.
Out of the 10 contestants, six are men and four, women. While five of them are stuÂÂdents, one is a school dropÂÂout, two farmers, one houseÂÂwife and another, a teacher.
In addition to the top 10 singers, an eliminated [...] [read more]
Towards creating a knowledge economy
Education for sometimes now has been grabbing media attention. SomeÂÂtimes for good reasons and other times for bad reasons.
If the recent signing of the performance compact beÂÂtween the Ministry of EducaÂÂtion and the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) is anything to go by, tertiary education in Bhutan is almost going to witness three dimensional reÂÂforms. [...] [read more]
‘Our money, our rights’
Bhutan will join the global community in celebrating ‘world consumer rights day’ on March 15. This year, the event will be observed with a theme ‘our money, our rights’. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has drafted the Consumer Protection Bill with assistance from UNCTAD and inputs from stakeholders. The draft act will be submitted to [...] [read more]
Noise pollution causes deafness
Noise pollution causes deafness. World became more and more civilized during past centuries and noise pollution became a serious problem in our days. It is a huge issue, beÂÂcause it affects everyone, especially people who live in big and crowded cities. It is not only airports, cars and factories that produce waste and noise, but [...] [read more]
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