The Bhutan Reporter, February 2008 The BhutanMONTHLY R E P O R T E R Vol IV, No 40 February 2008 www.bhutannewsservice.com Pages 4 Rs 4 Highlight Bombs Rock 'Happy Nation', WFP Security Guard Shot MLM, URFB Own Responsibility An unidentified group shot a security guard of World Food Bhutan News Service eral secretary of CPB- Programmee (WFP) on Janu- Jaigaon, January 20 MLM, as saying that the ary 22 at around 4.20 pm dur- The Himalayan kingdom RBA Found Militant Camp party has begun launching ing his duty hour in Beldangi- has noticed series of explo- 'armed rural class struggle' Bhutan News Service was affiliated with Bhutan Ti- II extension camp. sions that rocked within a inside Bhutan to establish Jaigaon, January 27 ger Force. According to District Super- couple of weeks from Janu- people's government. A watch team of Royal RBA also reported that its intendent of Police Raj Kumar ary 20 until February 3 in- John further informed Bhutan Army (RBA) swapped patrol arrested Dal Bahadur Lamichane, Nepali citizen cluding the capital city, the BNS that the party fire with a militant group in Tamang on January 19, affili- Lok Bahadur Limbu, 59, sus- Thimphu. would launch program in Dhanessey of Tsirang district ated with the militant group. tained critical injury due to the Communist Party of three phases that include on January 16, said RBA Army report said that Boli bullet. Bhutan (CPB-MLM) led by resettlement of Bhutanese spokesperson. Bhawan was leading the team He was sent to BP Koirala Birat has owned up respon- people occupying the land RBA claimed that the group of militants who managed to hospital in Dharan for sibility to the explosion that and properties used by had come from camps of the enter Bhutan via Assam bor- treatnemnt. took place in Samtse dis- evictees of early 1990s, tak- exile Bhutanese in Nepal and der. Police arrested three includ- trict on February 3 while ing physical action against ing the camp secretary of the January 20 attack was those spying against their Central Committee Member Bhutan News Service (BNS) Beldangi-II extension claimed by a newly existed democratic struggle, and of the party who identified from undisclosed location Ghanapati Adhikari in con- United Revolutionary Front of deconstruction of government himself as 'John' over a tele- quoted a press release issued nection to the shooting. They Bhutan. infrastructures in rural areas of were released later after inter- phone conversation with on February 4 by Birat, gen- Contd on page 4 rogation. Police have intesified thier patrol and beefed up the secu- Indian Lawmakers Denied ‘No Education for Lhotsampas’ rity inside the camps after the Tri Vikram Adhikari leges, Kanglung College, after incident. Entry to Nepal Khudunabari, January 23 grade XII. “The seats are lim- In recent days, threats and Two Bhutanese students ited for Nepali-ethnic commu- attacks by unknown groups Bhutan News Service Delhi to accelerate the repa- (names withheld) studying in- nity students at this college in have become regular in the Kakarvitta, January 19 triation process of the exiled side Bhutan have stated that comparison to other ethnic camps despite stationing po- Sima Surakshya Bal (SSB) Bhutanese. students from Nepali-ethnic groups”, they added. lice posts. BNS of India barred a delegation of Biswas in a press conference Indian lawmakers from enter- in West Bengal after the inci- community are denied oppor- They are strictly monitored on ing Nepal to visit camps where dent said “India, Nepal and tunities to pursue their higher any talks on ‘refugee issue’ and the exiled Bhutanese have Bhutan should jointly solve the education despite their high if found discussing on it, the ad- YOB Polls been living under UNHCR score and better performances ministration slaps either jail protection. in examination. term or face physical punish- Convener of Bhutan Soli- The two girl students who ment, they said. They also said Adjourn darity and Indo-Bhutan have recently visited camps of that majority of Bhutanese from Bhutan News Service Friendship Society Mohan the exiled Bhutanese in Nepal Nepali-ethnic community, who Birtamode, January 29 Tamang, who is coordinat- have reported the annual fee in were denied the issuance of ID A central committee meet- ing the event, informed the school is at least Nu 20,000. cards and No Objection Certifi- ing of the Bhutan People’s Bhutan News Service that They claimed that students cate, were barred voting in re- Party-affiliated Youth Organi- the SSB personnel have from Nepali-ethnic community cent election. “Even our fami- zation of Bhutan (YOB) has stopped the delegation com- are not given chance to join the lies were among those barred decided to adjourn the sched- prising Debrata Biswas, gen- problem of the Bhutanese in country’s one of the best col- from casting vote”, they added. uled polls until February 25. eral secretary of Forward Bloc exile.” He said that he would President of BPP Balaram who arrived at Bagdogra air- take up the issue as a challenge Poudel informed BNS that the port via Indian Airlines at in the parliament. He also said party approved the decision to 11:35 am. Forward Bloc is part that India, being the immedi- NC Elections Completed hold the election on February 25. of the ruling UPA government ate neighbor has inevitable role Bhutan News Service Vice President of the party in India. to play to resolve the problem Thimphu, January 31 Jagirman Lama said there is Tamang further quoted the peacefully for which he was in The election of 20 people’s representatives to the National no reason to withhold the elec- officials at Indian local au- a mission. Council concluded on January 29 in the five remaining tion when majority of the cen- thorities as saying that the del- Heten Burman, Deep dzongkhags. tral committee members were egation was stopped at Sarkar, Ritish Bhatacrarya and The election was held on Thimphu, Haa, Tashiyangtse, willing for the election. Panitanki, Indo-Nepal border, Anand Swarup Verma were Lhuentse and Gasa. Poudel further informed that in accordance with Section prominent leaders in the team. There were no contesting candidates in Gasa, Lhuentse and Rajan Giri, Devendra Gautam 144 of the Indian Penal Code. Indian force also barred Nepali Haa, the people voted for yes r no to one candidate in each of and Tika Ram Rai have so far Indian parliamentarian media persons to attend the these districts. filed their candidacy for the Biswas has been playing im- press meet. Several organiza- The National Council, which will act as a house of review post of president of the youth portant role in mobilizing tions condemned the India’s will have 25 members, with the King appointing five persons wing. other parliamentarians in undemocratic act. to the council. The Bhutan Reporter, February 2008 Analysis By I. P. Adhikari lapse on the part of the Thimphu govern- Editorial ment. All in all, there were only nine inter- Fledgling Democracy national observers – three from the Indian Election Commission, one from Australia No Violence Bhutan’s first democratic election has was built on lengthy preparation. Not that and five from the United Nations Devel- produced a notably young band of lawmak- there had been no time. The country’s opment Programme (UNDP) office in ers for its upper house, the National Coun- democratic transition began a decade ago, Thimphu. Some raised questions about the Please! cil. The body, elected in the historic poll when then-King Jigme Singye Wangchuk Indian Election Commission sending ob- of 31 December 2007, is made up mostly replaced the longstanding cabinet with a servers, as it could have been seen as hav- Finally, Bhutanese soil is of Bhutanis in their 20s and 30s, and con- new one. At that time, in 1997, such ac- ing been an organiser of the polls. The other likely to see violence targeted at tains a number of fresh graduates, a few tions, including a rethinking of the king’s observers, meanwhile, seemed unable or establishing ‘democracy’ in the retired and working bureaucrats who re- autocratic rule, had begun to seem increas- unwilling to file much of a report on the signed to contest elections, and others with ingly necessary. Dissatisfaction among the proceedings, or they seemed impressed country following the launching military-family backgrounds. Indeed, the Sarchops of the eastern districts was high enough that the process was simply going of ‘Armed Rural Class Struggle’ oldest newly elected official is only in his and climbing, and even some high-level forward in the first place. The UNDP chief by Birat-led Communist Party of mid-50s. The main reason for this result officials within the royal government had in Thimphu, Nicholas Rosellini, visited a was the Thimphu government’s require- begun stepping out of line. Then there was few booths around the capital city, to con- Bhutan (CPB-MLM) with a blast ment that candidates have college degrees the decision on the part of the general-sec- clude that the polling was both smooth and in Samtse on February 3. Not to – a necessity that rules out much of the retary of the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce fair. Election Commissioner Kunzang country’s populace. As could perhaps be to extend support to the demonstrations in Wangdi trumpeted similar claims. an exception, peaceful country- expected in a first-time democracy, these the east. the ‘Last Shangri-la’ began no- faces may be fresh, but each now appears In an attempt to win sympathy, King Council to Assembly ticing the commencement of vio- to lack political experience. Indeed, many Jigme subsequently brought into his fold a In the end, perhaps they were correct.