News: Bhutan Govt. flexes its majority muscle

In a session filled with drama and revelations yesterday, nearly 20 DPT ministers and MPs criticised and rebuked Opposition leader Tshering Tobgay for his observations today on the Lyonchhoen’s state of the nation address last Friday and the government’s handling of media freedom.

The MPs and ministers collectively reiterated and defended their previous stand on the ban of live BBS broadcast of the National Assembly discussion of bills, stating that it was a “majority” decision, and their thumping of the press, stating that it was needed. They also justified the constituency development grant (CDG), stating that they did not break any Constitution rule.

Opposition leader Tshering Tobgay had said: “The prime minister’s address, besides not making clear the differences between the 9th and 10th plans, had also not said how much work was actually done in the 10th plan.”

Source: Kuenselonline

He gave examples of feeder roads, highway and hospitals, whose work were there in the 9th plan, or even in the eighth plan, but which were listed in the Lyonchhoen’s address of DPT achievements. He also expressed doubts over the speed of implementation of the 10th plan and urged government to move faster.

The opposition leader also criticised the government for lambasting the press in the Lyonchhoen’s state of the nation address.

“The media has their freedom and knows their responsibilities and the government doesn’t have to continuously tell the media what is right or wrong and what to do or not do,” he said. He said this would lead to a scared and weaker media, since all the advertisement money came mainly from the government.

“Our country won’t get the media it deserves and this will affect the freedom of the media,” he said. “By not allowing live broadcast of the assembly session, it’s an infringement of media freedom and also goes against the principles of democracy,” said Tshering Tobgay.

Criticising CDG he said, “One of the causes of poverty is the lack of budget in the gewogs and so MPs shouldn’t come between the gewogs and their money.” He also questioned the constitutionality of CDG and said that he had not received any response from the government on his questions over the issue.

He said another major reason for poverty was unemployment, which was created by a weak private sector and falling standards of education. He also said that social problems like drugs and prostitution were created because of unemployed youth.

Criticising Lyonchhen’s stand on the constitution, he said, “The Constitution is a sacred do*****ent but that does not mean we keep it in a choesum (altar), but that we have to keep looking at it, discuss it, and be guided by it.” He said that the Constitution was an important handbook and the government should respect it.

In response to the Opposition Leader’s criticisms, Punakha MP Tshering Penjor sharply rebuked the Opposition leader, saying that he had “no discipline” by bringing up issues like CDG, which, he said, was already resolved. He also said that the media was not stopped from working, adding that the media was more concerned about entertainment.

Wangduephodrang MP Pasang Thrinlee accused Tshering Tobgay of bringing up “useless” issues and discussions. Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said: “The new government has done many important works for which we should be grateful instead of just attacking only.” He also said that the government was implementing the works be it the 9th plan leftover or the 10th plan.

Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk said that support was being given to industries and tourism. He also said that India had allotted an additional Nu 7b for the local government in addition to the current funds.

“The danger with the media is that some of them are commercial entities and may be guided by commercial interests over that of the people and nation,” he said.

He also said that live broadcast issue was resolved by a majority, which had to be respected.

Lyonpo Nandlal Rai said: “The media is not outside the country and shouldn’t just keep attacking the government.” MP Rinchen Dorji from Trongsa said: “This Saturday there was a Kuensel story saying that MPs will misappropriate CDG, but if we were against the media then this reporter would be thrown in prison.”

Kuensel said or wrote no such thing. There was no CDG story on this or last Saturday issues and no MP can willfully throw a reporter in prison, said Kuensel’s editor, adding that the MP should do his homework before attacking a newspaper for things it had not written about.

Opposition MP Damcho Dorji also questioned the Speaker’s statement not to discuss resolved issues outside the Assembly, by citing the Constitution’s fundamental right of freedom to expression and responsibility to represent the public’s view.

Source: Kuenselonline

Guru Tshengye Chham

Guru Tshengye Chham

Guru Rinpochhe Assumed a various forms in order to help all living beings. The dance of Guru Tshengye depicts his eight main manifestations. The display of the glorious deeds of the great Guru during the dance strengthens the faith of the spectators.

News: Bhutan tradition of oral story telling is dying

Not long ago, children would sit around their grandparents at night after dinner listening to stories of fairies, prince and princess, and distant lands. This tradition of oral story telling is dying. Many say it is already dead.

Now both children and adults while away their time in the living room watching TV. To help revive this tradition, the Center of Bhutan Studies (CBS) in association with the International Centre for Ethnographic studies in the US is organizing a story telling conference in the Capital. The three day conference began today. Her Royal Highness Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck graced the opening.

The conference will try to write and capture the cadence of story telling, the musical quality of the language and the manner of the speaker. It also aims to capture the creative art of story telling in an electronic form and film that can become the part of mass media.

CBS says, traditions are fragile, and the safe deposit of the oral stories is not permanent. But it hopes that efforts like this can light up the drive to preserve the voices of the past.

Opening the first national conference on storytelling, Her Royal Highness Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck said it is a pity that one of the oldest and most powerful expressions of individual and cultural creativity- traditional storytelling has been taken over by the other means of mass media such as TV and internet in today's society. Her Royal Highness said today, young children rarely sit around their grandparents and elders to listen to stories.

Her Royal Highness said in most urban areas, social relationships are often weakened by these new forms of media. With the rise of these new technological storytelling mediums, the cultural prominence of traditional storytelling as an art form is transforming.

Her Royal Highness said every one must make an effort to re-tell stories we heard in our childhood as a first step to revive our precious oral traditions.

Her Royal Highness said storytelling is a special bond between elders and children and a means of passing on our tradition, culture, and moral values to the next generation.

Her Royal Highness said community storytelling reinforces social bonds that connect individuals to their community, through shared experiences of traditional knowledge and heritage.

Nine foreign participants and ten Bhutanese folklorists are attending the three-day programme.
Source: BBS

News: Bhutan cane and bamboo exhibition wrapped up

Cane and bamboo exhibition

Rinchen Wangchuk and Tshering Lham, who were in the capital recently, were all smiles yesterday as the two-day cane and bamboo exhibition wrapped up.

The artisan couple from Zhemgang, representing their fellow artisans, had not only marketed bamboo products but also sold about Nu 50,000 worth of the same.

“We’re very grateful to the government for providing us this opportunity to display our products and find potential buyers,” said Rinchen, adding that back home, the market being small, it was really difficult to sell their products, the only means to meet their food, health and children’s education needs.

“Till now our monthly income was about Nu 7,000 per month and we’re only able to break even. But, now, we hope things will change.” Just to sell their products at their local market in Zhemgang, they have to walk almost three days from their village.

Organised by department of industry (DoI), with funds from UNDP and technical assistance from SNV, there were other artisans from Trashigang and Mongar with similar objectives. “Such exhibitions also help artisans to showcase their talents,” said a DOI official.

Craft items, encompassing an array of cane and bamboo products, included not only traditional products like bangchung, zem and tser dhop, but also modern products such as cane wine holder, tser tissue box, penholder, bamboo tray and hangers, etc. Live demonstrations of various craft work were also presented.

SNV’s Galey Tenzin said that prices of bamboo products are set to come down by almost 20-30 percent in future. He added that, through the technical assistance they provide, bamboo artisans are encouraged into group-based business and also made aware of proper price fixation of their products. Earlier, prices were mostly fixed through guesswork.

“We’re encouraging artisans to use bamboo rather than cane, because cane has become scarce with extensive and unsuitable use in the past, which has even led to a sharp decline in production,” he said. “With most communities far from the road point, motivation is much needed for the artisans.”

Pema Letho, 24, from Mongar, said that assistance from various organisations in developing their skills and training them to make new products has really benefited in improving living standards and provided opportunities for others to take the path too.

Source: Kuenselonline

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