Bhutan: Sex tourism, an emerging vulnerablity

Bhutan is slowly emerging as a destination for sex with tourists from the West and the sub-continent looking for young girls and boys in Bhutan.

This was one of the emerging vulnerabilities listed in the recently released study on status of vulnerable children conducted by RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women) with support from Save The Children.

While there are no figures to support this “invisible findings” the study states that this has been happening for some time.

“This is the area where high-end sex workers also enter,” the study states. “Tourists are preferred due to the monetary incentive and also the fact that they would leave the country, thus protecting identity of the service providers.”

Other emerging vulnerabilities, according to the study are commercial sex workers, which include children besides children born to HIV/AIDs patients but are negative, family and neighbours of children with mental illness and children of parents serving time in prison.

Based on case studies, the study states that with various categories of sex workers, the profession was slowly becoming well organized. It further states that single women can be picked up at bars and discotheques and are paid a paltry sum of Nu 200 to 500 while school drop-outs and the unemployed, who mostly approach men themselves in intoxicated state, often siphon off everything that the man has.

The study also states that there are commercial sex workers below 18 years, whose identity and phone numbers are known by few people. “High-end girls, both children and youth insist on going to hotels of their choice for sex,” it states.

The study highlighted that under-age girls, including students being engaged in the trade and attributes this trend to poverty. Those serving high-end customers charge a minimum of Nu 15,000 a night.

“Clients are mainly Thimphu’s mobile population, particularly Indian tourists and those working in various hydropower projects, apart from other tourists and few Bhutanese,” the study found.

Tour operators and guides agreed that there could be women catering to tourists with the increase in visitors. However, they said it has to be verified as the information are based on hearsay.

Guides Association of Bhutan’s president Garab Dorji said that from what he heard, it was quite rampant.

“We hear of cases where some tourists indicate or demand female guides and escorts to accompany them during their stay in the country,” he said. “If true, it needs to be monitored as it could lead to bigger issues in future especially if it’s arranged by tour operators, guides or drivers.”

A tour operator said the issue was more prominent among regional tourists than the tariff paying tourists.  “But it’s not right as Bhutan is known as an exotic cultural and spiritual destination,” he said.

The study also states social stigma, low self-esteem, single parents and poverty have made children born to HIV/AIDs patients but are negative, more vulnerable.

Lhak-Sam, the study states was not able to bring this group into their family while there is no record on the number of HIV/AIDs patients who are married and have conceived. “Neither is there a record of children who are negative but born to HIV/AIDs parents,” it states.

Mental trauma such children faced has led to attempted suicide among them, the study states.

The study also categorises children of parents serving time in prison as the vulnerable lot as they are often subject to social stigma,  poverty, negligence, exclusion or deprivation and exposed to abuse.

One of the limitations highlighted in the study was the difficulty in contacting vulnerable groups like commercial sex workers. As conducting focus group discussion with them was impossible, since the girls do not want to know each other, snowballing sampling was adopted to get information on this vulnerable group.

Another limitation was lack of a standard definition of vulnerability or a baseline indicating the prevalence, type and factors making children vulnerable. “For obtaining a nationwide status of the vulnerable, a national level study should be conducted,” the study recommend.

For the purpose of the study, a vulnerable child was defined as “a child in difficult circumstances,” incorporated from the Child Care and Protection Act.

Of the total sample size of 891 children, 459 were in Trashigang, 235 in Paro and 197 in Tsirang. Respondents were children with one form of vulnerability or the other.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: 60th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, celebrating from November 9 till 11

The entire country will observe three days of celebrations and festivities beginning November 9 and culminating on the 11th for the 60th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.
The conceptual guidelines for the three days of celebrations was presented by special coordinator Dasho Sonam Tenzin.
While celebrations and festivities will be occurring, Dasho Sonam Tenzin pointed out that His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo has made it clear to the organizers that the emphasis should be on “nation building” as commanded by His Majesty The King, rather than a birthday party, Dasho Sonam Tenzin said.
In line with this over arching theme, the focus of the celebrations will be on reflecting the achievements of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, taking stock of the current status of initiatives and achievements, and to plan for the future based on the vision, wisdom, and direction of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
“Everything we have is because of what He has done,” Dasho Sonam Tenzin said.
His Majesty The King will be addressing the nation on November 11.
While prayers are already being conducted for the occasion, the Zhung Dratshang on November 7, will hold a Goempoi Tongtshog Kurim by 100 monks at Tashichhodzong and a public Nyen-ney Yenlag Gye-Pai Dompa by the Dorji Lopen at Tendrel Thang. On November 8, three thongdrols will be unfurled at Tashichhodzong and other rites conducted.
The activities, which will commence on the 9th, are divided into three categories: paying tribute and gratitude, the offering of collective prayers, and celebrating the occasion of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s 60th Birth Anniversary.
Some of the highlights during the three day celebrations include His Majesty The King presenting one statue of Chenrizig to each of the 205 gewogs enabling the people to pay homage to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Each statue is to be placed in a temple that is mutually agreed upon by the people of the gewog. However, if there is disagreement, throw of dice will determine which temple is chosen.
The Queen’s Project Office in collaboration with the 60th Birth Anniversary Celebration Coordination Unit will launch 60 different products from various dzongkhags under the One Gewog, One Product programme. The products shall be displayed in tents and sold to the public.
While deferred to after the celebrations, a Druk Gi Norbui Kachen to pay tribute to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s extraordinary qualities of Ku-Sung-Thug-Yonten-Thinley will be built. The monument will be made out of solid stone and be 30 feet high. “The presentation of the monument will be simple but striking with profound significance as the Asoka pillar,” it was pointed out.
The monument will eventually be replicated in all dzongkhags.
The celebrations have been organized into four themes.
The first theme is the offering of kurims and longevity prayers for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Nationwide kurims in all dzongs, monasteries, temples, gomdeys, and shedras will be held. A collective recitation of Kanjur by various shedras will also take place. Soelkha will occur in all goenkhangs nationwide and Baza Guru, mani, tshedo, and tshedrub, will be recited jointly by the dratshang, rabdeys, chhodeys, drubdeys, and the public.
The second theme is to create a special event and environment for people to express their gratitude, love, devotion, and loyalty to the His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
An elaborate chipdrel seldrang will be staged for the final day of celebrations. A guard of honour by 1,000 army personnel, will be presented three times to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. The Zhung Dratshang, rabdey, chhodey, civil service, dakhagsum, and public, will offer a Mendrel Ku-Sum-Thugten or Mandala.
A zhabten for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, described by Dasho Sonam Tenzin as perhaps the highlight of the programme, will also be offered collectively by the 1,000 representatives of the Dratshang and Chhodey, and representatives from various other sections of society.
Dzongs, boulevards, institutional buildings, and streets will be decorated with flowers, trees, the respectable display of pictures of the monarchs, and illuminations.
The third theme is to stage for the highest quality entertainment programmes that legitimises the event philosophically, ritually, and ceremonially. All schools will be provided with the opportunity of coming up with exceptional programmes and the best ones screened in their respective dzongkhags.
The Dratshang shall display the Zhing-Sheg Pem Chham by 100 monks at Changlimithang.
Senior citizens, above the age of 70, both male and female, will perform a traditional dance for His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
Thousands of colourful bio-degradable balloons will be released.
The fourth theme includes parallel entertainment programmes to be organized at different places at different timings in Thimphu city by private entertainment associations.
Shows will be organized at the Centenary park, Dechenchholing, Changjiji, Clock Tower square, Mothithang park, and on Norzin lam.
A treasure hunt is planned for November 9 to be held at Mothithang, Dechencholing, and Nazhoen Pelri.
On November 10, a marathon for the elderly, above age 60, will begin and end at the Clock Tower square, besides various other entertainment programmes.
On November 11, a cake cutting ceremony will be held in three locations.
Separate avenues may be created to stage all traditional sports of Bhutan.
All 205 gewogs will observe and celebrate the occasion.

Bhutan Jumolhari Third Mountain Festival

After trekking for two days from Shana in Paro and as temperatures dipped to almost zero degree, about 200 people including tourists joined the local communities last week at the third Jomolhari Mountain festival to celebrate life in the mountains.

Amusement: Winners of a horse race, which was held as part of the Jomolhari Mountain festival last week (Photo: Lhendup Tharchen, JDNP)

Perhaps the coldest festival celebrated in the country, the two-day fiesta at the base of Mount Jomolhari, which is about 3,850 meters above sea level, is organized annually to encourage wildlife conservation through community participation and promote ecotourism opportunities in the Jomolhari region.

Among others, one of the highlights of the fest this year were the hikers sighting the elusive snow leopard, the national bird ravan, the Himalayan black bear, blue sheep and marmots.

About 50 visitors, in groups with local guides hiked to Tshophu, Lhaliphu, Bagala and Thomphuna. The guided tours, said festival organizers help the local community generate income besides the fest also providing a forum for them to market their dairy produces.

Health camp: A resident gets his BMI checked during the mountain festival

Through various events such as the horse race among the community’s men, the festival, which the Department of Forests and Park Servcies’ director general Chencho Norbu opened on October 7 also showcased local culture and tradition and encourage yak herding among the people in the highlands.

Unlike in the last two festivals, this year, a team of five officials from the Faculty of Nursing and Public Health (FNPH) joined the community and provided a free health checkup. The Bhutan Foundation, which had supported the first two festivals, funded the health camp, which the people received well, said park officials.

“The health checkup, which was done for the first time benefitted the communities including park officials,” Jigme Dorji National Park manager, Lhendup Tharchen said. “Given the long distance that people have to travel to avail health care, the check up saw a good turn out.”

About 100 people got their health checked, the dean of FNPH, who led the team Dr Chencho Dorji said. “We checked their Body Mass Index and people were quite happy to get the facility, even though there is a BHU there,” he said. “Those who were found with hypertension and high sugar levels were asked to visit a hospital.”

The teachers and students of Jomolhari School also participated in the fest with cultural programs while an art competition was also organized for the students.

“The main objective of the festival is to strengthen community based conservation by involving the communities,” Lhendup Tharchen said.

The Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) with the gewogs of Tsento and Soe organized the Nu 5.5M festival that the Tourism Council of Bhutan funded. The festival is held every year on the 25th and 26th day of the eighth month of the Bhutanese Calendar.

Source: Kuenselonline

Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO): Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online

Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online if the government agrees to the request from the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO).

The ABTO recently wrote to the government to make the service online, and the association is hopeful of a positive response. “We are yet to hear from the government,” ABTO’s Executive Director Sonam Dorji said.

Regional tourists coming in by road today need to show up in person at the border check points to process their tourist permit which will be valid for Thimphu and Paro dzongkhags only. If they plan to visit other dzongkhags, they need another permit from Thimphu.

Regional tourists coming in by air do not need to process the permit for Paro and Thimphu dzongkhags like those coming by land. However, they also need to avail another permit from Thimphu if they wish to visit dzongkhags besides Paro and Thimphu.

“So far, only dollar paying tourists can apply for permit online,” Sonam Dorji said. “It takes time for regional tourists to process permit at the Phuentsholing international border.”

Last year about 85,000 of the total 133,000 tourist arrivals were regional tourists, out of which 68,000 were from India. Regional tourists comprise tourists from India, Maldives and Bangladesh and officials argue that it has become important to transfer the issuance of the permit online.

Tour operators believe that the proposed system would not only reduce hassle for regional tourists but also help formalise the informal tourism in the country. Those tourists coming in on their own without routing through tour agents are called informal tourists.

Sharing his personal view, home minister Dawa Gyaltshen said he was positive about the idea although the government is yet to reach a consensus. “In this era of ICT, I think we need to do that in future,” lyonpo said, adding that the cabinet hasn’t been able to sit in the recent weeks.

Indian tour operators also raised the issue when they recently attended the Indo-Bhutan tourism conclave in Thimphu. They said it was a hassle for regional tourists to process the permit, which they said takes time.

An Indian tour operator from West Bengal who attended the conclave said having to wait for hours at the border check point to avail permit was a big problem for regional tourists. “I have been visiting Bhutan for quite sometime and I had to wait for four hours to avail my permit to Bhutan,” he said

“We have to come in person, which is a big hindrance for the growth of Bhutanese tourism industry itself,” he said. If tourists can book permits online, he said they could do that in advance and make a secured trip to Bhutan.

Some tourism officials said that the introduction of the proposed system would contribute in bringing regional tourists during off-season. Bhutanese tourism being seasonal in nature is the main constraint the industry is facing today, according to officials.

Indian tour operator Rajat Goswami said services such as issuance of permits should be made easier. He said regional tourists are equally important for Bhutan, as are dollar-paying tourists.

“We give business when Bhutan has nothing. It’s not alternative business,” he said.

Indian tour agents said they also receive late responses from their Bhutanese counterparts. “People these days have no patience,” he said. “But we get response from Bhutan counterparts very late,” he said

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan Festival: What’s tshechu really, and why do we observe it?

The answer is simple you may think. It is in many ways. But tshechu is much more than how it is understood today.

History has it that Guru Rinpoche, the great scholar, visited Tibet and Bhutan in the 8th century and 9th century. He visited Bhutan to help the dying king Sindhu Raja in Bumthang. Guru performed a series of such dances to restore the health of the king. The grateful king helped spread Buddhism in Bhutan. Guru organised the first tshechu in Bumthang, where the eight manifestations of Guru were presented through eight forms of dances.

But tshechu is more than celebration of Guru Rinpoche’s extraordinary life and contributions. It is a moment to give thanks; it is a time for people to supplicate for good days ahead. However, with time, tshechu has come to mean something totally different.

Tshechu was initiated long time ago as the most profound public teaching – how we live our lives, how we need to conduct ourselves as an individual member of society, and how we could work together for the benefit of all. It was meant to be a time of celebration for people who had to work for days on end in the fields, a moment for members of family to come together and celebrate their success.

All these have taken a different turn today. Tshechu these days is a holiday and time to have some fun, nothing more than that.

“Tshechu is fun. We get to see a lot of different things and time to hangout during nights,” says 17-year-old Kuenga Tenzin. “Chams are a bore, really. There should be more modern dance and songs.”

But 76-year-old Aap Thinley Penjore disagrees. Tshechu is not a plain celebration, he says. It has a deep significance. “Tshechus are kurims for the nation and the people. What is important is that one should have a complete devotion. Prayers need to be earnest. Only then will good things happen to the people and the country.”

But to the young people, the twirling and twisting of the masked dancers mean nothing. There is nothing to be gained from it, materially, emotionally and spiritually.

Raksha Mangcham, the dance of the Rakshas and Judgement of the Dead, which is based on the Book of Dead – Guru Rinpoche’s scared teaching – is, at the best, a funny act to most young people today.

“I don’t understand why these dancers are going about wasting so much time. And look at the rain. What’s the purpose of it,” says Sonam Choden, a 19-year-old student. “I have heard that the dances have special meaning. I don’t get it.”

Shingje Choegi Gyalp, the Lord of the Dead, has been basking for a long while, in the rain not for no reason. The judgement time will soon begin. Black and white deeds will be counted and the fate of a person will be decided.

“Not many people understand the significance of tshechu today,” says Aap Kinley Sithub of Kabesa, Thimphu. “Tshechus were initiated to thank gods for peace and prosperity and to invoke the power of the higher beings to grant us continued prosperity and happiness.”

Today, tshechu has come to mean a time to flaunt one’s wealth. How best one is dressed and how richly one eats is Tshechu. For young people, it is a time to find a mate and have a good time, however fleeting the moment.

Says Lopen Pema Thinley, a retired teacher: “It is good that we now have commentators at tshechus. Otherwise, our young people will not understand anything about tshechu. It is crucial that we understand why we are doing this. It is more than just culture, tradition and belief system. It is a life lesson.”

Shingje Choegi Gyalp is looking on, almost motionless. Acts unfold and the rain continues. Thimphu Tshechu is coming to an end. Outside, on the streets, traders and merchants are busy selling garments and things varied.

Has tshechu also come to mean business?

Source: Kuenselonline