Bhutan Celebrate 108th National Day

The whole town is awake and the people are rushing to the celebration ground.

This day’s observation of 108th National Day celebration in Paro is special. And this is happening at a historically significant venue – The Ugyen Pelri Palace – the seat of the once powerful Paro Penlop Kusho Tshering Penjor.

It is early morning, 3am. Paro, December 17.

The winter sun is mellow and the air cold. But the day is bright and the atmosphere most serene. The significance of the day has added special colour to the day. And the King arrives.

People turn solemn and earnestly reverent all of a sudden. Glad they are that the monarch extraordinaire has come to partake of the joy and success of the nation with the people of Paro Dzongkhag. And there is His Majesty the Fourth King and the Royal Family.

The National Day is important to us, His Majesty said. “On this day in 1907, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck became the first hereditary King of Bhutan, and from that day onwards, the successive Kings, the government, and people, have worked together in harmony to build our nation. Their collective efforts over the years have resulted in the peace and prosperity that we enjoy today.”

His Majesty said while some countries suffered economic crises, others had to deal with internal conflicts, terrorism, war and natural disasters in 2015, Bhutan, with the blessings of theKenchosum, the merit of the people, the prayers of our ancestors, and the protection of our guardian deities, this year was filled with peace and happiness. “I am deeply satisfied by our hard work and achievements.”   His Majesty informed that next year is not only the birth year of Guru Rinpoche, who came to Bhutan in the 8th century, but also marks 400 years since Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel began the wheel of the dual system of governance in Bhutan.

“Since then, 54 desis governed the country, beginning with Desi Umze Tenzin Drugyel, and ensured that Bhutan remained united. We have had an unbroken line of Je Khenpos beginning with Je Pekar Jugne, to Je Trulku Jigme Chhoeda today. Their efforts have helped the dharma to flourish boundlessly,” His Majesty said.

“Since 1907, with the installation of the hereditary Monarchy, our successive Kings, along with the people, have worked tirelessly to achieve our national goals and strengthen our country.”

The collective efforts of those years culminated in the establishment of the democratic system of governance in 2008, said His Majesty. “With democracy, we aspire to build a just and harmonious society, strengthen our beloved country, and fulfill all the aspirations of our people.”

His Majesty bestowed upon some 45 retired civil servants gold medals for the service they rendered to the nation and the people with true faith and utmost dedication. Among them were teachers and educators, engineers and agriculturists, linguists and lamas.

This award to the citizens emeritus was instituted by the Royal Civil Service Commission in 2013 to remind and encourage the young and highly potential civil servants to work even harder for the benefit of the country and the people. The success of this fast prospering nation hinges on the strength and dynamism of its civil servants, said His Majesty The King.

This year’s National Day in Paro, the one-time capital of Bhutan, was also markedly extraordinary because His Majesty the King gave special recognition to education and the educators. Bhutan has come a long way in terms of socioeconomic development, but its future will inevitably depend on the success of education and growth of excellence in teaching, said His Majesty the King.

His Majesty The King emphasised on the importance of protecting and preserving Bhutan’s rich culture and heritage that give shape to the face of a nation that is increasingly becoming an example of a good and successful country in the comity of nations. In the last one decade, seven dzongs in the country were renovated, three newly built, and some 300 choetens entirely rebuilt. There are still 2836 choetens in the country to be rebuilt.

That is why the service of some seven Bhutanese traditional engineers and architects were recognised with gold medal.

“We are lucky to have been able to celebrate the nation’s most important day with His Majesty The King. We pray for the nation to succeed beyond what it has been able to until now. Peace and prosperity will come so long as we have monarchs like we have been blessed with,” said 78-year-old Aum Kencho.

His Majesty the King informed the people that Bhutan has a unique advantage to achieve great heights. Time has now come for the people of the country to act for the benefit of the country and its people.  It is a matter now of whether we can muster the courage to do it, not of whether we can, said His Majesty The King.

Source: Kuenselonline

Royal wedding (Bhutan) archery tournament

In the royal wedding archery tournament at Gup Kanjur’s archery range at Babesa in Thimphu, Thongley Drayang secured five points defeating its opponent teams, Tashi Tagye and Wamling Yarna, who shared three points each.

In the afternoon’s match, Karma Druk beat Chang Shooters and Charo Nga by scoring six points. The other two teams manage only three points each.

The organiser, former gup Kanjur claimed the tournament played on traditional bow and arrow and aping the Yangphel style, was the first of its kind in Thimphu.

The tournament saw 22 teams participating in it.

He said he was interested in playing archery on Pakshi before he switched on to compound bow a few years ago.

“I was sent to other countries to represent my own in playing archery on Pakshi and now I should do something to preserve and promote it,” he said, adding although a number of archery tournaments were organised in the country, it was less on traditional equipment.

“This is one of the reasons for conducting this tournament,” Kanjur said.

He also said the tournament was in celebration of the royal wedding, its finals being scheduled on the wedding day. Prizes have yet to be decided as the organiser are still looking for sponsors.

“I’m starting this tournament with the hope it’ll become an annual event,” he said.

In today’s tournament, Gunners will play Wamling Yarna and Ram Kharp in the morning and Radhi will contest Druk Chapcha Construction and Chang shooters in the afternoon. The tournament started on September 18 and the league round will wind up on September 30.

Source: Kuenselonline

Nation’s guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness

“When I grow up, I want to be like you,” a man in grey hair from the back seat of the room told students of Early Learning Centre up front.

The students had just demonstrated accompanied with video clippings of what they practiced at school towards a green school that draws its essence from the nation’s guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Meditation to begin and to call it a day at school, denying packaged food at school except once a week and helping ailing and aged citizens at the Thimphu hospital was what the students presented to some 70 people from across the globe.

The participants were gathered to mobilise a fund for green economic development during a conference at Termalinca resort yesterday morning. They were standing most of the time lauding the efforts Bhutanese students were tuning towards that was further embellished with education minister Thakur S Powdyel’s talk on GNH and education.

Impressed by the idea of green schools, the participants dropped money into the waste basket the school had made from plastics and gifted it to the children to use it to pursue their dream of being the change they want to see.

An inventor gave them an instrument that produces electricity from wind energy.

“Over the years, education, whose original idea is to inspire people to be better human beings has come to follow more the law of the market and I feel education has today lost its soul,” Lyonpo said. “That is why we feel we need to reclaim the core function of education itself and that is the reason why we have adopted a strategy called green schools for green Bhutan.”

Elaborating on the first aspect of a green school, he said children needed to understand endowment that’s inherited and the natural diversity that characterises Bhutan.

On intellectual greenery, the second aspect, lyonpo said for a small country like Bhutan, it was extremely important to build students’ knowledge bases, to build intellectual capacity and GNH schools must be intellectually vibrant and open with fertile minds.

A green school, he said, should also be academically green, in that schools should discover the great ideas hidden and so children and teachers will be explorers for the greater mind.

On being socially green, the fourth element, lyonpo said green school should also be culturally green because being a small country with a diverse culture, schools ought to provide space for children to be able to express, articulate and celebrate the different cultural experiences.

“We also believe spiritual greenery is important, which we hope will allow children to find completion, find fulfillment in relation to appreciation of something superior and greater than us,” the minister said. “So this should allow us to moderate our ego, be humble, and be a little more positive.”

Aesthetic greenery is yet another element of a green school, lyonpo said because a lot of children are exposed to influences which compromise and do violence to the integrity of their lives.

“Today, a lot of other things children see on TV screen is such that it can suck the soul of the child,” lyonpo said. “That’s why we need to create opportunities where children know what is really good, and what only looks good; what is genuine, what is fake; what is truly beautiful and appreciate what it is. We call it aesthetic greenery.”

Moral greenery, the ability to inspire to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and falsehood is another extremely important element of a green school, the minister said.

“Perhaps one of the great gaps in modern education is the cultivation of the intellectual dimension, to a point where all other dimensions of the learner are relegated to the background,” he said. “We may have graduates who have wonderful degrees, skills all of which are very important but people who may not be able to relate to each another and the thirst of heart is not quenched by education.”

All these elements are intended to respond to and support the multiple dimensions of the life of the learner, just as GNH is a development alternative that is expected to respond to the multiple dimensions of an individual and society, the minister explained.

“I have a feeling that we need to have green schools even before we have the blue economy,” lyonpo said. “So, a green school in ally to the blue economy, we certainly believe is about time we started looking for a new civilisation, and I call it a new educational civilisation.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: The monal pheasant is a rare and highly endangered bird species

The monal pheasant is a rare and highly endangered bird species. Its existence has come under even greater threat because of the national sport, archery.

In traditional archery contests, archers use bamboo bows and arrows. The monal pheasant feathers are highly sought after for making the traditional bamboo arrows.

According to the Bhutan Indigenous Games and Sports Association, it is mandatory to use bird feathers for making the traditional bamboo arrows. Archers cannot use alternative feathers like the flexible plastic feathers. While many bird feathers can be used, most archers, if they can help it, want the monal pheasant feathers.

The monal pheasants are found between 2800 and 4200 meters above the sea level. Otherwise seen in large groups, the bird is slowly disappearing.

Hishey Tshering is an avid bird watcher and a keen archer. He is also a tour operator and often takes tourists on bird watching excursions.

“Just four to five years ago, on any mountain pass, if we arrive on time, we could see 20-30 birds at a time but of late it has become extremely stressful taking people there.”

The Indigenous Games and Sports Association also agree alternatives have to be found.

Jurmin Wangdi, the Assistant General Secretary of the Bhutan Indigenous Games Sports Association said “as an individual I feel sad because making a pair of arrows costs the life of a bird. We should give it a thought. Bhutan is a biological hotspot for bird watching. If monal pheasants are vanishing, we should see how we can bring about a good change.”

Arrows made with monal pheasant feathers cost around Nu.1200 a pair. Arrows made with feathers from less exalted birds cost around Nu.300.

Source: BBS

The monal pheasant is a rare and highly endangered bird species. Its existence has come under even greater threat because of the national sport, archery.

In traditional archery contests, archers use bamboo bows and arrows. The monal pheasant feathers are highly sought after for making the traditional bamboo arrows.

According to the Bhutan Indigenous Games and Sports Association, it is mandatory to use bird feathers for making the traditional bamboo arrows. Archers cannot use alternative feathers like the flexible plastic feathers. While many bird feathers can be used, most archers, if they can help it, want the monal pheasant feathers.

The monal pheasants are found between 2800 and 4200 meters above the sea level. Otherwise seen in large groups, the bird is slowly disappearing.

Hishey Tshering is an avid bird watcher and a keen archer. He is also a tour operator and often takes tourists on bird watching excursions.

“Just four to five years ago, on any mountain pass, if we arrive on time, we could see 20-30 birds at a time but of late it has become extremely stressful taking people there.”

The Indigenous Games and Sports Association also agree alternatives have to be found.

Jurmin Wangdi, the Assistant General Secretary of the Bhutan Indigenous Games Sports Association said “as an individual I feel sad because making a pair of arrows costs the life of a bird. We should give it a thought. Bhutan is a biological hotspot for bird watching. If monal pheasants are vanishing, we should see how we can bring about a good change.”

Arrows made with monal pheasant feathers cost around Nu.1200 a pair. Arrows made with feathers from less exalted birds cost around Nu.300.

Source: BBS

His Majesty issues Kasho on Local Goverment Elections

During the audience granted to those who had appealed against their disqualification, His Majesty the King said that their appeal and the submissions made by the Prime Minister on behalf of the National Assembly, National Council and the two political parties, was with regard to the failure of the respective political parties to abide by the laws on procedures for de-registration in particular and on the interpretation of the laws on de-registration in general. Thus, the appeal would merit full consideration from the relevant agencies, if the individuals had themselves acted in accordance with the laws.

His Majesty said that the Election Commission of Bhutan was simply abiding by the Constitutional requirement that Local Governments must be apolitical. His Majesty said, “I have always encouraged political participation and the growth of political parties. Having heeded my request to all citizens to participate in the political process in the past, you may now, as prospective candidates for Local Government offices, be surprised that your participation in political parties have hindered your chances to run for office in Local Government. The Constitution requires apolitical Local Governments for very important reasons. Local Government responsibilities are very different from those of political parties or any other institution. Local Governments are the foundation for grassroots democracy. They must have intimate knowledge of the daily lives of the people in their constituencies; work in constant and close interaction with their people and nurture cooperation, consensus and close-knit communities. In a largely rural country Local Governments are even more important not just in carrying out vital duties towards achieving development objectives of their people, but also in bringing about a harmonious society.”

His Majesty said, “As individuals, having a preference for a political party is not bad. The majority of people will always hold certain preferences. However, in carrying out one’s duties as part of an apolitical institution, we must keep our political affiliations aside. It is as simple as carrying out one’s official duties without being biased by preference for family and friends at the cost of the larger community.”

His Majesty said that he always encouraged institutions to resolve issues on their own, through consultation. He said, “Once the Throne is involved, the Throne will protect the Constitution and the laws in place – it has no other path before it.”

His Majesty said that, “the sacred Constitutional duty of the King is to protect and uphold this Constitution in the best interest and for the welfare of the people of Bhutan. As I do so, I shall seek if necessary, the Supreme Court’s opinion, for the Supreme Court is the guardian of this Constitution and the final authority of its interpretation.”

Source: BBS

Bhutan people gathered for voter photo identity card

A 40-year old man from Paro emerged out of a crowd gathered at the royal academy of performing arts (RAPA) hall, rubbing his eyes that had turned red from being exposed to dust.

He said he had been waiting since April 19 to collect his voter photo identity card.

“They stopped issuing the cards after 5pm, least considerate of those of us, who waited since morning the first day,” he said yesterday. “I’m giving up. There’s no point. I’ve waited until lunch today.”

A young man from Trashigang, working with a corporate firm, claimed to have waited since 7am yesterday, only to find a long queue already formed in front of the door to the hall.

“It took me more than five hours to get my card,” he said seeming rather satisfied, adding there was no point in standing in a queue, when everyone else broke line. “You have to jostle and sharp-elbow those around you.”

In the process, a woman from Trashigang living in Thimphu said that some men were almost bound for fisticuffs.

A woman was taken to hospital, following a stampede in their struggle to get in front of the queue, although medical officials at the emergency ward said she suffered no major injuries and was sent home following a brief examination.

At the Motithang school hall, where another crowd of Thimphu residents had gathered to collect their voter cards, police officials shoved a few people back into the crowd, as they tried to force open the door.

To save people all that hassle, the police their curses and the election commission officials the strain, many in the crowd suggested that commission officials should have provided at least a week to collect the cards.

A civil servant, who left after a brief scan of the crowd, said authorities should not complain of a lukewarm response during elections later, if they made the process towards it so unfavourable.

“What’s the purpose of a voter card in the first place when we have identity cards,” she said. “Isn’t that good enough to identify our eligibility to vote.”

A businessman suggested the authority should have divided the two days into couple of hours for people of different dzongkhags depending on sizes.

“What they’re doing isn’t service to the people but an attempt to show the authorities higher up that they’re doing something,” he said.

His friend, working with an autonomous agency, said that, despite taking two days leave from the office, he was unable to fetch his voter card.

“It’s a wastage of time,” he said.

On the issue of providing more time, commission’s deputy chief electoral registration officer Sonam Tobgyel explained that they had decided on the two-day collection time from the feedback they had garnered following the general elections.

“Give them a few days or a week, they’ll still rush at the last moment,” he said, adding the cards would be distributed to each household in every chiwog.

“They have to go to their villages to vote anyway and their voter cards will be there,” Sonam Tobgyel said. “It’s for these reasons we can’t hold the cards here for more than two days.”

He also said the commission officials spent at least 12 hours a day trying distributing the voter cards to Thimphu residents from other parts of the country.

Sonam Tobgyel agreed that, while the citizen identity card would also do, he said they were mandated by their act to distribute voter cards.

“The voter card contains in detail the polling stations and the constituency of a voter,” he said.

The two-day voter card distribution for 17 dzongkhags ended yesterday, and they will be sent to their respective dzongkhags.

Voter card distribution for three dzongkhags of Punakha, Trongsa and Trashiyangtse has already been completed.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bangladesh community in Thimphu and Bhutanese dignitaries celebrated the 39th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh

The small Bangladesh community in Thimphu, joined by Bhutanese dignitaries, yesterday celebrated the 39th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh at the embassy ground.

The Bangladesh ambassador to Bhutan, Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan, said that the day will always remain special to the people of Bangladesh, as it marked the beginning of independence of Bangladesh after nine-month long armed struggle with Pakistani forces and immense sacrifices of lives of Bangladeshi people and finally achieving the independence on March 26,1971.

“This day also marked the beginning of a new nation, where the people had the freedom and right to self determination and it was the dream of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to build Bangladesh into a happy and prosperous country in a democratic environment,” he said.

“Bhutan is an old and close friend of Bangladesh and among the first nations to recognise Bangladesh as an independent country. This is important because Bhutan helped us when we needed the most, and that’s why Bhutan will always have a special place in the hearts of all the people of Bangladesh.”

In her message to the nation, Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to the three million heroes, who sacrificed their lives, and 200,000 women, who lost their innocence in the war of liberation. “I recall with deep gratitude the leader of our liberation struggle, the greatest Bangalee of all time, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” said the prime minister in her message.

“Our government has been striving hard to establish Bangladesh as a poverty-, hunger- and illiteracy-free digital Bangladesh by 2021, the golden jubilee year of our independence. For the success of the noble endeavour, I call upon all people wherever they may be to join us with their utmost sincerity, honesty and dedication.”

The foreign secretary, Daw Penjo, home secretary Dasho Penden Wangchuk and the chief of protocol, Singye Dorjee were present at the celebration.

Source: Kuenselonline

Profits dip by Nu 44 million: Bhutan National Bank

Foreign exchange movement, not performance, led to a slump in Bhutan National bank’s profits, the first time in eight years, say bank officials.

“If you exclude the foreign exchange (forex) component for 2008 and 2009, we’ve actually grown by more than 23 percent,” said BNB’s chief executive officer, Kipchu Tshering.

In 2008, the bank had a windfall of Nu 84 mn through forex and last year it suffered a loss of Nu 19 mn. BNB, like most banks, is required to maintain at least USD 10 mn in foreign exchange to facilitate third country transactions.

According to the bank’s profit and loss account, which was not obtained from bank officials, BNB’s profits fell by about Nu 44 mn in 2009, with profit after tax slipping to Nu 266.2 mn from Nu 310.3 mn in 2008.

While income from interest on loans grew to Nu 1.14 bn from Nu 917 mn, interest paid on fixed deposits shot up to Nu 588.9 mn from Nu 329 mn in 2008.

The bank’s management said that the raise in corporate fixed deposit rates last year to attract more funds had increased the cost of funds. “Our lending was growing but not our deposits, so we raised the fixed deposit rates to avoid a cash crunch,” said Kipchu Tshering.

While this increased deposits to Nu 21.65 bn from Nu 14.60 bn and loans also grew to Nu 11 bn, shareholders pointed out, during the bank’s annual general meeting in Thimphu on March 23, that the huge interest payments on fixed deposits had significantly eaten into the profits.

“The bank has made money, but it could have made much more had it not taken so much deposits,” said a shareholder. “It’s a lapse on the management for not being able to track investment as well as fund flow.”

The bank did the same in 2002 and its profits fell for the first time after it was formed in 1997, said another shareholder. “It’s a repeat of 2002, they took in just too much money.” He also said that the bank could be stuck with paying high interest rates for some time, particularly for long term fixed deposits.

For the Bank of Bhutan, the cost of funds were much cheaper, because most government agencies, for whatever reasons, had their current accounts with them, on which the bank incurred no cost but charged for services rendered.

BNB today has an excess liquidity of about Nu 4 bn, but its officials expect large borrowers only after some hydropower projects are completed. “Domestic power consumption has reached its peak and no new industries can come up without power,” said Kipchu Tshering. There was no land either to set up new industries, although the government has made announcements to develop several industrial estates.

Kipchu Tshering said that there were no investment avenues within the country to utilise the surplus money. “Elsewhere, you have mutual funds, the stock market and government bonds. Here even the issue of government bonds isn’t consistent.”

The bank is waiting to invest several hundred million ngultrums as consortium financing to the Dungsam cement project, which announced earlier this year that it would borrow about Nu 2 bn domestically.

Despite the drip in profits, the bank declared a dividend of Nu 28.50 a share, the same as the previous year. It will paying Nu 101 mn as dividend, Nu 79 mn will go into reserves. As in 2008, Nu 50 mn has been set aside as reserve to build an office complex.

Source: Kuenselonline

Blue Poppy - National Flower of Bhutan

Blue poppy - National Flower of Bhutan

Blue poppies, the national flower, that once grew in abundance at the Chelela pass in Paro has been severely depleted in recent years according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature. “We spotted only three flowering and two seedlings at Chelela this June and July,” said the society’s ecologist and ornithologist, Rebecca Pradhan. According to the society there were about 150 blue poppies in the 1990s. In 2000, the number had dwindled to 20 and to 11 in 2002.

The society feels that the depletion is because of plundering by people from neighboring districts with particular interest in gardening. With the highway going through the pass it is easy for people to go and dig up the flowers which are about 5 to 10 minutes walk away from the road,” said Rebecca Pradhan.

Small holes left in the flowering area indicated that people had been digging up these plants according to the society. The society fears that this species might be wiped out totally from Chelela. However, no research has been done and the society does not know the implications it might have on the ecosystem.

Of the four types of blue poppies found in the area, the “Meconopsis napaulensis” is rare and a total wipe out of the species could lead to its extinction from that area too. “People do not recognize the different types of species. Based on their judgment of the colour they recognize it as blue poppies,” said Rebecca Pradhan. To the professional the different kinds can be differentiated by the characteristics of the plants like the shape of the leaves, the seed pod or the filament.

“People like the idea of having the blue poppies in their garden since it’s Bhutan’s national flower as well as a rare plant but they should keep in mind the social responsibility to protect and preserve what is in the country.” “Blue poppies, not even the general garden poppies can grow if they are transplanted,” said Rebecca Pradhan. “The best case would be to sow the seed.”
The blue poppy is found in the alpine region across the country and Bhutan has 13 types of Blue poppy of which one is endemic to Bhutan.

The meconopsis superba is found in Halakyula, Haa and the flowers are white in colour. This poppy is said to be one and a half metres tall and a plant has an average of about 30 flowers according to the society. The plant is monocarpic and it dies after flowering.

The society has put up a proposal to the government for monitoring the Chelela area according to the society.

News: End of Bhutan 3rd Session of Parliament

His Majesty the King, Prime Minister and National Assembly Speaker

His Majesty the King commended the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, the Opposition party and the National Council for their contribution to the successful democratic process, while addressing the concluding ceremony of the third session of the first parliament yesterday.

“I congratulate the elected government of the Druk Phuensum Tshokpa on the completion of one year and four months in office. In these early days of a new political system, while bearing great responsibilities, you have, despite the limited resources, successfully carried out the difficult duties of government in service of the Tsawasum,” said His Majesty.

His Majesty said that the opposition, though comprised of only two members, through diligence and commitment, has fulfilled the important duties of the Opposition party enshrined in the Constitution.

His Majesty also assured his support to the National Council and said that the members of the Council, in the interest of the country’s future, have shouldered their profound duties with accomplishment. “I must express my deep gratitude and appreciation to the government and the members of parliament. It is with complete trust and faith that I look upon you to serve the People and Country.”

His Majesty also commended the media for their role in ensuring a vibrant democracy and said that he would, through the exercise of Royal Prerogative of Kidu, strengthen media agencies, so that they may carry out their duties, without fear or favour, in the interest of democracy. (for details see special supplement of His Majesty’s address)

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Jigme Tshultrim, informed the parliament that the joint sitting could not pass two “urgent bills, the local government bill and the civil service bill, 2009, although it was deliberated and debated extensively. “However, they’ll be passed during a special session, which will be convened soon with an approval from His Majesty the King.”

The Speaker also informed that the parliament’s summer session would be held in May and June, while the winter session would be in November and December every year.

The prime minister, the opposition leader and the chairman of the National Council expressed their gratitude to His Majesty for appreciating their performance and providing continuous guidance.

Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley thanked His Majesty for providing Kidu through Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Yangzom to the families of the seven students, who were washed away by the Wangchu.

He said that an investigation would be carried out on the unfortunate accident. “This was a national tragedy and, in order for this kind of disaster to not happen again, the government will now look at various policies and means to prevent these kinds of incidents. We’ll also come up with ways to help people stuck in such disasters,” said the prime minister.

The prime minister thanked His Majesty for his appreciation and support on the successful working of the democratic system. He said that, as the first government and Parliament in the democratic system, they had an extra responsibility to ensure its success. He said the Parliament had successfully made many laws (Police Act, Prison Act, Waste Management Act and Livestock Act) to be put up to His Majesty.

On the two urgent bills, the prime minister said that he was both disappointed and happy to see the bills not passed.

“I’m disappointed because we couldn’t pass the bills and happy because it wasn’t the Opposition or the National Council, but all MPs, who worked on the laws and decided in the end, that the laws were not yet satisfactory or good for the country.” He said that, in a democracy, laws are most important and, if there are good laws, they will bring about equity and justice.

The opposition leader Tshering Tobgay said that the laws could be passed, based on the constitution and by consultation between MPs. The chairperson of the National Council, Namgay Penjore said that the joint sitting had a successful discussion. “The two bills would have immense implication in the long run and quality deliberations and discussions were needed. However, the bills won’t be prolonged and we’ll endorse it very soon,” he said.

The session concluded with the offering of Tashi Moenlam, a tradition that symbolises the fidelity between the Druk Gyalpo, government and the people of Bhutan. Gathered around the Golden Throne, the members of parliament also offered prayers for the health and long life of His Majesty the King, for peace and prosperity in the country, and for the well being of the Bhutanese people.

Source: Kuenselonline

People and National Dress

Bhutanese women have traditionally had more rights than women of surrounding cultures, the most prominent being the presumptive right of land ownership. The property of each extended Bhutanese family is controlled by an anchor mother who is assisted by the other women of the family in running affairs. As she becomes unable to manage the property, the position of anchor mother passes on to a sister, daughter or niece.

Bhutan National Dress Gho for Men

Men and women work together in the fields, and both may own small shops or businesses. Men take a full part in household management, often cook, and are traditionally the makers and repairers of clothing (but do not weave the fabric). In the towns, a more ‘western’ pattern of family structure is beginning to emerge, with the husband as breadwinner and the wife as home-maker. Both genders may be monks, although in practice the number of female monks is relatively small.

Bhutan National Dress Kira for women

Marriages are at the will of either party and divorce is not uncommon. The ceremony consists of an exchange of white scarves and the sharing of a cup. Marriages can be officially registered when the couple has lived together for more than six months. Traditionally the groom moves to the bride’s family home, but newly-weds may decide to live with either family depending on which household is most in need of labor.

All Bhutanese citizens are required to observe the national dress code, known as Driglam Namzha, while in public during daylight hours. Men wear a heavy knee-length robe tied with a belt, called a gho, folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. Woman wear colorful blouses over which they fold and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira, thereby creating an ankle-length dress. A short silk jacket, or toego may be worn over the kira. Everyday gho and kira are cotton or wool, according to the season, patterned in simple checks and stripes in earth tones. For special occasions and festivals, colourfully patterned silk kira and, more rarely, gho may be worn.

Additional rules apply when visiting a dzong or a temple, and when appearing before a high level official — a white sash (kabney) is worn by male commoners from left shoulder to opposite hip, with other colors reserved for officials and monks. Women wear a narrow embroidered cloth draped over the left shoulder, a rachu.

Gross National Happiness

5th King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

Three factors have exerted great influence on the course of Bhutan development. The first being the culture. As Bhutan was never conquered or colonized, the country developed a culture relatively free from outside influence, the institution of monarchy, and a deep sense of nationhood. The second factor is the environment, which is protected by mountainous, often difficult terrain. Thirdly, Vajrayana Buddhism has given the country a view of the world on which the 3rd and 4th Kings based their policies of developing of Bhutan’s potential in every field. This continuing development of Bhutan has been crystallized in a philosophy crafted by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, known as Gross National Happiness (GNH) in the late 1980s. The concept of the GNH defines Bhutan’s development objective as improvement in the happiness and satisfaction of the people rather than growth of Gross National Product (GNP). GNH has been the over reaching development philosophy of Bhutan as the concept has guided the country’s development policies and programmes. GNH suggests that happiness is the ultimate objective of development. It recognizes that there are many dimensions to development other than those associated with Gross National Product (GNP), and that development needs to be understood as a process that seeks to maximize happiness rather than purely economic growth.

The country believes that for a holistic development of the individual and society, it is essential that development achieve a sustainable balance between the economic, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs of the people. This has led to the declared objective of viewing development as a continuous process towards achieving a balance between the material and intangible needs of individuals and society.

The concept reminds the country that the means must always be considered in terms of the end and, therefore, every step in material development and change must be measured and evaluated to ensure that it will lead to happiness, not just more development. Having accepted that the maximization of Gross National Happiness is a philosophy and objective of the country’s development, it was felt necessary to more clearly identify the main areas, and create the condition to enable the people to attain greater happiness. Recognizing that the large range of factors contributes to human well-being and happiness and that it may not be possible to exhaustively define or list everything for the purpose of its development planning, Bhutan has identified four major areas as the main pillars of GNH. These are
• Economic growth and development: If everybody contributed with Jimba (volunteer) actions, working sincerely as a public servant or offering some form of public service, all would reap the benefit of economic progress. Not only would the poor be better off but the lonely would have company.

• Preservation and promotion of culture heritage: Doing jimba (volunteer) is an integral part of Buddhist philosophy. Since the Bhutanese culture is essentially Buddhist, many customs are based on Buddhist ideals. Practicing jimba helps promote Buddhist values, therefore promoting national culture and traditions.

• Preservation and sustainable use of the environment: Performing jimba/public service means taking a holistic view of things, which is thinking beyond ourselves and our time. It is thinking about future generations, about the animals, about the plants, and the environment they live in, or in other words, Mother Nature. Through this mind-set of jimba, we conserve our natural environment.

• And good governance: People who think about doing jimba/public service are guided by sound ethical principles and values like social responsibility. Those doing jimba/public service incorporate and support values and ethical principles by demonstrating accountability, honoring their commitments, and acting in the public interest. This value-oriented and conscious action helps prevent corruption and brings about good governance as they work for the benefit of the country and not for themselves.

Guided by the ideas of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan has been making steady progress in every sector towards the goal of modernization. Hydroelectric power, economically the most signification sector for Bhutan’s goal of self-sustaining development, has grown impressively. The education, social services and health sector have made great strides forward and continue to be the most important social components of the country’s development programme. The government’s fiscal situation has been improving steadily. Progress has been made in the development of human resource and the legal infrastructure.

Paro National Museum of Bhutan

National Museum (Ta-Dzong). This was actually the Watch Tower of Paro Rinpung Dzong. It was converted to the National Museum in 1968.

The National museum accumulated more and more objects from different parts of the country and is today a storehouse of Bhutan's cultural and traditional treasures. Over thirteen galleries, each exhibits from different periods and places in the country, the National Museum of Bhutan takes pride in its effort to educate its visitors, be they local or foreign, about the country's cultural history that date back to as early as 2000 B.C and its metamorphism over the ages into what it is today.

It’s not only as a huge tourist attraction but also as an institution of learning for both scholars and visitors, considering the history of the building.

The Paro National Museum has 6 floor and description are as follows:

Ground Floor: Galleries of ancient arms, urns, bronze and copper vessels, epigraph and wooden containers.

1st Floor: Galleries of cane and bamboo containers, urns, horn containers and farming appliances.

2nd Floor: Galleries of natural History and Buddhist ritual objects.

3rd Floor: Galleries of ancient tea pots, wine containers, jewelry, numismatics, evolution of men and women’s dresses, tribal dresses, charm boxes, wooden cups and personalize gallery of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.

4th Floor: Galleries of Pre-History and early history of Bhutan, Life and Legacy of Pema Lingpa and Pha Drung Drung, Costumes of Regional dancers, Manuscripts, Images and Arms and Armour.

5th Floor: Galleries of Medieval Bhutan, Thangkas, bronzes, slate carvings and Chapel of the Wealth Deity.

6th Floor: Galleries of Philately of Bhutan, photoplates of dzongs, Thangkas and Chapel of the Three Dimensional Mandala.

News: Bhutanese United Nations’ employees in Afghanistan

Bhutanese United Nations’ employees in Afghanistan, Karma Jimba

“Nothing moves here without paying bribes,” says one of the rare Bhutanese United Nations’ employees in Afghanistan, Karma Jimba.

Karma is among four Bhutanese living and working in war torn Afghanistan. When he first started four years ago, he thought it would be great if he could work for six months. “But time passed and, before I knew it, four years had passed.” Although his car missed bomb blasts several times, he says, “I don’t feel scared.”

Well adjusted to life in Afghanistan, the 43-year-old says that implementing projects and overcoming corruption were the main challenges they face.

“Visiting a project site becomes like a royal entourage,” he said. “I have to be in a bulletproof land cruiser with another armoured car as a backup. And I’m escorted by 18-armed guards, nine in front and nine behind with AK47 and explosive launchers pointing in all directions along the way.”

Karma from Khoma, Lhuntse is the project manager for rural access improvement project under the United Nations office for project services (UNOPS). He worked with the Bhutan logging corporation now NRDCL before joining UN.

Corruption, he feels, is a result of wars. “When I interact with government counterparts, it’s not a professional challenge I face but corruption.”

Afghanistan has two faces: one that of a developed and the other, of a developing country, wrote Karma to Kuensel. It has five star hotels to super express highways to broadband Internet connection. “But the world is using Afghanistan as a dumping ground for second hand goods in the absence of any legal framework,” said Karma. “But not having regulations can sometimes be beneficial to the people,” he adds.

Citing an example, the father of two said that anyone could open a business without a license, thus saving time and money with complicated government procedures. “This is really making business grow and Bhutan should think of deregulating wherever possible. In Bhutan I feel it is a bit over-regulated.”

Donor pressure is what results in quality work and which Karma insists should be duplicated in Bhutan. “Quality control and quality assurance should be very strict, because quality is a serious issue for Bhutan.”

The project he manages has constructed and rehabilitated over 8,000 km of road and built over 60 major bridges, some as long as 250 m.

The situation in Afghanistan is not how the outside world sees it, writes Karma. “In fact, all international employees live in bulletproof well-furnished comfortable houses with air conditioners.”

With strict security rules, and movement only from the guesthouse to office and back, he said, “I am a UN employee and UN security rules are very tight. So it becomes equivalent to being a UN prisoner if one may say so.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Archery: National Game

National Game of Bhutan Archery

Archery The national sport of Bhutan is archery. Other traditional sports include digor - a kind of shotput, darts and wrestling. Today, most international sports, such as soccer, basket ball, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis are becoming popular. In Bhutan a game of archery has always been a serious business. Tradition has it that if two villages or districts were to compete in a game of archery, elaborate preparations preceded the actual duel. Astrologers consulted the stars and their books of wisdom to divine the most auspicious day to play the game, including even the most favorable sequence of shooting for their players.

Each dzong in Bhutan has a separate space as ‘Bha Cho’ or field of target. Competitions and archery contests are quite colorful and bubbles with excitement. There are often two teams, wearing traditional Bhutanese dresses, competing with each other. Small wooden targets for archers are placed 140 m apart, as opposed to the Olympics, where 50 m is the standard distance

Bhutan Cricket Team (Under - 19) leaves for Kuwait

Bhutan National team, under-19 ACC Elite Cup to be held in Kuwait from 22nd April 2009 leaves for Kuwait tomorrow the 17th April 2009. The Young and Talented Bhutan squad will be coached by Damber Singh Gurung and Tshering Dorji to be the Manger.

Bhutan is Group B along side with UAE, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Oman. Bhutan has to face the strong opponents with Afghanistan being stronger.

The Bhutanese Under -19 National Team had been well prepared for the tournament and looking forward to win the cup and qualify for the Under-19 World Cup 2010. Not only the players, but the CEO, Coach, Manager and all the BCCB members are confident that they will be qualified for the Under-19 World Cup.

Players have been preparing hard and good to see a strong side with everyone putting extra effort, and as most of the boys played together for the last three years in various ACC Tournamnet and having seen them improved considerable is an big bonus for the National side.

Wish you ALL THE VERY BEST AND GOOD LUCK to all the players, and the squard leaving for the Kuwait and also for the BCCB.

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News: Gross National Happiness

OUT OF THE PICTURE - A group of homeless people in Thimphu remind society about the difficult search for Gross National Happiness.

Source: Kuenselonline