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

Bhutan and Nepal will resume talks

Bhutan and Nepal will resume talks on the issue of the people in the camps in Nepal, said Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley at Paro airport yesterday. Lyonchhoen was returning after a six-day trip to Nepal and Afghanistan. He visited the two countries in his capacity as the current chairperson of SAARC.

Talks between Bhutan and Nepal on the issue of the people in the camps were suspended in 2003, when members of the Bhutanese joint verification team were attacked by a mob at one of the camps located in eastern Nepal. Until then, 15 ministerial-level talks had been held.

While in Nepal, Lyonchhoen also insisted that the Nepalese government work on the compensation for the Tara Air crash victims’ families. Eighteen Bhutanese were killed, when their plane crashed in Nepal last December.

Lyonchhoen and the Nepalese prime minister, Jhala Nath Khanal, discussed strengthening and deepening relations between the two countries. They agreed to renew a trade agreement to boost bilateral trade. They also agreed to renew and revise a bilateral air services agreement, which could see national airline Drukair operating between Bagdogra, India and Kathmandu, Nepal.

As the current chairperson of SAARC, Lyonchhoen was following up on the implementation of measures reached during the 16th SAARC summit here in Thimphu.

During the three-day visit to Afghanistan, Lyonchhoen met with President Hamid Karzai and with First Vice President Marshall Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili.

He said that President Karzai’s trip to Bhutan and his visit to Kabul have enabled the two countries to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations, have a deeper understanding of each other, to work together.

The prime minister was accompanied by the economic affairs minister and minister-in-charge of foreign affairs, Khandu Wangchuk, ambassador of Bhutan to Nepal and officials from the prime minister’s office and foreign ministry.

He described the visit as one that “was committed to deepen and strengthen relations of Bhutan with both Nepal and Afghanistan.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Knock-out Round Starts

In the last round of the pre-quarters for the street football at Changlimithang in Thimphu, CCFC defeated Young Stellers 2-1 goals and Atsara defeated ILCS 4-3 yesterday.

SK defeated Cypress FC by five goals, while its opponent team lost by two goals. Drukpa also scored four goals against BoB, who lost by one goal. YHSS wiil play against Ravengers, Gunners against SK Utd, CCFC will take on Atsara and Drukpa on Norling today in the first knock-out round of the first street football tournament

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan in the age-old battle against wildlife

In the age-old battle against wildlife, farmers in eastern Bhutan have tried and tested endless methods to keep wild animals off their farms.

Mongar farmers have finally landed a solution that probably appears to be a success.

Serving more than just a decorative purpose, stuffed toys, those of tigers, have today replaced the traditional scarecrow in Mongar farms. And it has worked so far.

Farmer Jamtsho, 45, from Drepong gewog said the real-sized tigers, with almost original patterns and features, have done magic to their farm, which was frequently attacked by monkeys that came in troops of not less than 50.

The tigers that cost about Nu 1,500 from shops in Mongar town are neatly placed at an elevation in the field. It appeared genuine and succeeded in frightening other animals, especially monkeys.

Jamtsho remembers constructing makeshift huts and spending countless nights there, guarding his farm.

He said, if they left the farm briefly, to attend events like village zomdu, half their yield would be gone.

“All our efforts would go to waste,” he said, adding they had to compete with the monkeys, wild boars and porcupines.

Jamtsho said the wild animals became such a nuisance, farmers tried clearing bushes around the fields, erecting numerous scarecrows and constructing fences using best materials.

When he nearly lost all hope, a simple stuffed toy did the trick. And today, not a single monkey can be spotted near his field.

“It’s no exaggeration but the tiger eased my life drastically,” he said.

His neighbour, a former gup, Pema Tshewang, said for the last two years, the tigers, almost a metre long, had been protecting his three-acre maize field.

He said they noticed monkeys disappearing for weeks after spotting the tiger in the field.

“But you should know how to place it,” he said, adding presenting the tiger behind a thin layer of bush or amid twigs made it look even more real.

It was often removed during the night and off-harvest season.

“Monkeys attacked mostly during the day,” he said.

Rinzin, 49, from Thangrong gewog, said many farmers in villages across Mongar preferred to use the tiger in place of other scarecrows.

“Some friends introduced it about two years ago,” he said. “This came as a blessing to poor farmers like us, who spent sleepless nights guarding our farms, only to be stripped off our yields at the end of the year.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: A Holland & Holland gun

A Holland & Holland gun is considered as among the finest of modern times. It is known for its brilliant craftsmanship and today is one of the world’s most expensive handcrafted sports gun.

There is one such gun in Bhutan. It is a .458 double barrel. With engravings of the big game animals of Bhutan, it is the only of its kind and now worth more than £ 80,000.

The fourth king received it as his coronation gift in 1974. The managing director of the gun company, Malcolm Lyell, travelled from London to personally offer it. Lyell’s handwritten notes says, “The official day for present giving was Tuesday, June 4th but the King couldn’t wait! We were summoned the day before and presented it to him in the Royal Cottage.”

The third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, had ordered the gun two years earlier in 1972, before he passed away. The third king first met Lyell in 1949, in London at the Westley Richards’s gun showroom where, as Crown Prince, he had gone to buy hunting rifles. Ever since, the two gun enthusiasts maintained their friendship.

The doyen of the London gun trade visited Bhutan as the guest of the king. He first came in 1970 and was one of the earliest to trek extensively in our northern mountains. Using hand-drawn maps of botanist Frank Ludlow, Lyell and his family made four such expeditions into the then largely unknown northern mountains. Lyell was a game enthusiast and keen on wild animals and, during his treks, saw and recorded many of these wild animals namely, the blue sheep, blue bear, wild yaks, takins, and snow leopards.

The Gun
In 1972, after returning from one such trip, Lyell had the gun of our king engraved with the large game animals that he saw during his treks in Bhutan.

For example, the right lock plate has an engraving of a group of takins - the national animal. The fore feet and body of the lynx are also just visible on the “fence” (standing breach at the left hand end of the barrel).

The left lock has an engraving of the Indian rhinoceros, which are found in the foothills of Manas. The tail and back of the snow leopard are scarcely visible on the “fence”. A Tibetan antelope, found along the Chumbi valley border, is engraved on the trigger guard, and the grip cap has an engraving of a blue sheep or bhurel.

History
Crafting a Holland & Holland gun took a long time and this became a setback as the soaring inflation of the 1970s cut into the company’s profit.

To sustain the business, Lyell started to craft presentation guns. These guns were fully functional but, because of the intricate artwork, enhanced its costs, and hence inflation did not affect its value.

Inspired by the gun makers of the 18th century, Lyell came up with the rococo gun, with deep engravings in gold and silver of classical motifs, such as Diana the huntress.

In 1966, the Shooting Times described it as the finest gun of modern times and, from then, Lyell produced a series entitled “Products of Excellence”. These included such guns as the Set of Five; beautifully matched shotguns in every gauge from 12 bore to .410; the African hunters series of big game rifles; and finally the Saurian four bore, decorated with scenes of prehistoric life.

Almost two decades later, after the launch of the “product of excellence”, in 1972, our late king ordered the .458 double barrel gun, which he never saw. In the memory of the late king, Lyell had it engraved with the big game animals of Bhutan and presented it to our fourth king during his coronation. Malcolm Lyell died early this year.

Source: Kuenselonline

Tenjur or the Buddha’s commentaries, will be translated into English

What is described as a daunting task, requiring three lifetimes, the Tenjur (Translated Treatises), or the Buddha’s commentaries, will be translated into English, according to professor Geshey Robert Thurman.

Calling it a “great treasure for humanity”, Geshey Robert Thurman, who is in the country giving talks on Buddhism, said that the Tibetan translation of the Tenjur from Sanskrit is the only remaining version of an ancient work taught by the Buddha and great Indian masters where Buddhism once flourished.

Work on the Tenjur, which is in 3,626 texts in 224 volumes, has already started, but the professor said that it is the first attempt to try to do the complete translation in a uniform way, with a terminology that is standard across all the works.

“About 40 years ago when I received my PhD, the Dalai Lama and my teacher, a Mongolian Geshey, asked me to translate the Tenjur,” said Geshey Thurman at his hotel yesterday. Working closely with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse rinpoche, who has initiated to translate the 108 volumes of Kangyur (Buddha’s words), Geshey Thurman said the Kangyur and Tenjur has to be translated to counter industrial science.

“The Kanjur has Buddha’s own words, but then people think of that as only religious like a Bible. Tenjur is more like a science – it is scientific, about inner science, about mind and how mind works,” he said. “This, the modern science doesn’t have, as they are all materialistic. So they really need these sciences, and this was one reason the Dalai Lama asked me to translate the Tenjur.”

Professor Thurman has already completed 15 to 20 works. “We have a series called the Treasury of Buddhist Sciences with Columbia University Press and published about 20 works so far. But the goal is to set up an institution in India, probably in Sarnath, where Buddha’s teaching started, to start the project.”

However, the Geshey feels that certain selections of the Tenjur can be translated in about five years, which can then be used to teach in English language schools for young Bhutanese. “Selection of very important works on logic, ethics and reasoning will be helpful in regular education, as it will teach children from a young age to reason, think rationally and critically,” he said.

“Translating these works isn’t only for the benefit of the English people, but also for young Bhutanese and young Tibetans in exile, because they speak English and they know no Choekyed or read it. So for them to read Buddhist literature, they need a good translation in English.”

In Bhutan, the professor said, because of the old fashioned Buddhist education was only for the monks and the farmers were just offering and coming to ritual and praying. “Lay people are learning and getting educated, but they aren’t educated in the Buddhist way. They are being educated in a materialistic modern way. That’s not good for a Buddhist country and so we want to create a way where lay people can get some aspects of that education,” he said, adding that he had been begging the monk body to thinks ways of teaching more simply some of the key things like logic and ethics.

Explaining why the Kanjur and Tenjur are the great treasure of humanity, the professor said that, in ancient time, around 5th and 6th century, India was the most developed place and people would come to study at Buddhist universities from Europe, China, Iran and Indonesia, where all the great universities were Buddhist and the faculty was monks. “The library from that place was really precious to humanity, and not only to Buddhists. Particularly, the Tenjur has Buddhist sciences, as the original text were not only religious, they were philosophical, medical, aesthetic (soyi rigpa) and what we call science of language today,” he said.

“Until the western people discovered Sanskrit, there didn’t have linguistic. They took it from Sanskrit what is called the modern science of linguistic.”

Asked how they would go about with the project, professor Thurman said he is hoping to create a major separate situation like the Dharma Chakra institution to keep the work going. He said that one of the problems of the 150 years of work that has gone on by academic is that each of them had their own English words for the regional Tibetan words, which comes from Sanskrit.

When the Kanjur and Tenjur were translated from Sanskrit to Tibetan, they had a certain dictionary and a king who said that they have to use one word. Therefore the words were all the same. “With our new effort, we’re going to have a single dictionary and it will be readable and uniformly across many works by many people,” he said. “Most of the translators will be Buddhist and, therefore, they’ll have a different feeling about the works and take special care, unlike scholars who didn’t care and didn’t have faith and devotion of the meaning. “

Although the project would cost millions of dollars, Professor Thurman said they would do, no matter how long it takes. “The Tibetans took 400 years because they didn’t have computers and had to travel frequently, and even in 13th century, some editing was going on. We can do more quickly, provided we have the support,” he said.

“In 30 years we’ll have a version of Tenjur and that will cost around USD10-15M. Dzongsar Khentse has a plan of 100 years to translate the Kanjur, but he can be much quicker, because a lot of preliminary works was done already.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Lumang gewog, Trashigang, waited patiently for the election officials

Dressed in their best attire, villagers in Chhengri under Lumang gewog, Trashigang, waited patiently for the election officials to begin the zomdu.

The chiwog’s school dining hall filled with the buzz of people greeting and chatting with each other. Cold wind seeped in from the wall made of mud and bamboo.

A couple of minutes later, the dzongkhag electoral officer started the session, but quickly introduced the chiwog’s lone gup contestant. The gathering, however, already knew the candidate and went on to unanimously nominate him as the gup candidate from their chiwog.

While the chiwog failed to produce any mangmi candidate, the lone tshogpa candidate was also endorsed without a hitch. The candidate was required to produce a signature support from five different households.

The zomdu was short and election team swiftly moved to the next chiwog, Doongmanma. There the process went on for at least three hours.

A male and a female gup aspirant were asked to introduce themselves. Both appeared hesitant and claimed not to know what to say. Both, however, promised to bring in development activities and serve people well.

The people were then asked to vote at the electronic voting machine placed neatly at the side. Some immediately took out their citizenship identity card from their pocket. A few had neatly wrapped it in a plastic. A handful, having forgotten to bring it along, rushed home to pick up the card.

Soon the result was declared and the female candidate was elected to contest from the chiwog. However, the villagers insisted the defeated candidate should contest for the mangmi post.

With another candidate already vying for the mangmi post, another round of voting was held to select a mangmi candidate. The candidate was once again defeated.

The chiwog, facing a dearth of tshogpa contestants, insisted the defeated candidate to stand as tshogpa.

“If we need to develop our chiwog, we need a tshogpa,” said one. Another said he need not do much walking, since the chiwog was now connected with mobile connection. The room filled with murmurs as others agreed to his nomination. It was long before the candidate reluctantly agreed to contest for tshogpa.

The election team, after lunch, moved on to Kharphoog Kurchhilo, where excited villagers promptly nominated a gup, mangmi and four tshogpas, including a woman.

On their way to Wamrong, where they will halt for the night, the election team received a phone call from the Doongmanma tshogpa candidate informing he was tendering a resignation since he didn’t feel comfortable enough to take up the post.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: Japanese had long prepared for the disaster

As we sat there following the local news on the television, my Kyrgyz friend, Bolot Kulmatov, and I agreed the Japanese had long prepared for the disaster, such as the one that unfolded with the March 11 earthquake and tsunami hitting the north-eastern part of the country.

For example Tokyo, one of the world’s most advanced metropolitan cities, did not have electricity, mobile and telephone services were down, and the temperature continued to dip below zero.

People waited in queues that spilt into the street, as grocers took longer than usual to do business in the flickering candlelight. It took a minimum of five hours to avail one’s turn at the gas station, which the government had started to ration to 20 litres a car.

The advanced and efficient Japan Railways that ferry millions of people everyday was also shut down. Commuters, including students, spent the night at the train stations. Those, who opted for buses and taxis, also had to wait for long hours. The stores in Tokyo had run out of instant food (especially noodles), tissue paper and candles.

Where everything is timed to perfection, and much pride in taken in allowing personal convenience, it was all very un-Japanese. But the Japanese – young and old alike - were as calm, reserved, and polite as ever. There was no panic or sense of urgency. They may have been a little less cheerful.

By the second day, the death toll had risen to 274, with thousands still missing. There had been over 40 aftershocks already, with some measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale. To top it all, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crisis was just beginning.

As the only two occupants of the CNP (café no problemo) or the snack lounge of the International university of Japan in Niigata, 230km northwest of Tokyo, we saluted the nation that was braving, and in such a manner, its worst disaster since WWII.

When the first quake hit the university campus with a magnitude of 6, it lasted close to a minute. We were doing course evaluation before the last class of the international economic systems and order course, when the computer lab swung like it was suspended in the air. Gently, but continuously, the room continued to creak and move.

When I got up to walk out of the room to the open air as the other students, I was giddy and unstable. It felt like I walking across a long suspension bridge that moves with each step, like the ones leading to some villages in Zhemgang district. The aftershocks continued in intervals for the entire three-hour class, and beyond. By then I had a severe headache.

The 6.6 magnitude quake around 4am on the morning of March 13, was entirely different. It was brief, but a very hard jolt. Cupboard doors flew open, things fell on the floor, and it was so violent that I could not get up from the bed. Stunned and shocked, we walked to the gym, as instructed during the orientation.

Some of us were wearing helmets and carrying the flashlight provided to each student. The student support office of the university responded by asking students to keep calm and be safe and in the meantime to stock on instant food, water, and cells for flashlight, and to keep ready passports, documents and warm clothes and in case of earthquake and aftershocks to go to the gym—supposedly the strongest structure on campus. So we went to the gym time and again and, by the third time or so, students looked drained, and very worried.

For me, it was a chilling thought to imagine earthquakes of such magnitude hitting Bhutan. Many students, especially from Asia, agreed that a magnitude of more than 7.5 would flatten their cities.

I wondered whether the ‘duck, cover, hold’ ritual being professed today in schools in Bhutan could actually work.

It works for Japan, because the material used in Japanese structures is entirely different. The foundations of buildings are made of huge steel frames, similar to the ones used in Japan-assisted bridges in Bhutan. Most parts of the buildings have sturdy steel frames filled in with a thin layer of concrete. One can easily punch a hole through the wall that looks like it is made of plaster-of-paris kind of material.

So it is safe to crouch under a table to protect from falling objects in the room, because the steel frames will not cave in on one; and, even if the walls crumble, they will not cause much harm. Japanese structures are so designed that they move with the movement of the earthquake, not against it.

In Bhutan, it is difficult to imagine a table withstanding falling bricks, hollow blocks, or stones. The option would be to run out to an open clearing and pray that the ground below does not cave in.

It would be pragmatic to keep essential items ready at hand like instant food, water, flashlights, ropes, first-aid kit. A rare sight today, fire extinguishers are also very important for every household. Even more important would be knowing how to use it.

It may also be equally important to be concerned about nuclear disasters as we buffer nuclear neighbours. Accidents do happen. When the radiation level in my university, situated 185km away from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant and bordered by a range of mountains, including the famous Hakkai san mountain, fluctuated (but not to the level of causing any health concern), it was evident of the looming danger. For the first time, I followed every word of the weather forecast, and carefully noted the wind direction.

It was for this reason the respective embassies started evacuating students from the university and, by the end of the second week since the disaster, most students had either gone home, or to the south of Japan, as directed by their countries. Plus the ‘CNN effect’ was taking its toll that parents, relatives, and even embassy officials were becoming hysterical.

The ugly side of the open market economy revealed itself, when airlines took advantage and more than doubled the airfare, but even then it was difficult to find a seat.

When I reached Narita airport on the afternoon of March 21, two multi-ethnic lines stretched from one end of the airport to the other. Every passenger flying in from Japan had to undergo a radiation test at Bangkok airport. Back home in Paro airport, the posters hanging from the walls made it clear the issue was still about swine flu and avian flu. But I almost missed the stern warning on tobacco.

Source: kuenselonline

Qualified medical practitioners in Bhutan

In 1962 when Dr Carl E Taylor visited Bhutan, he found 21 qualified medical practitioners in the country. The entire modern health system of the country was then made up of seven doctors, two nurses and 12 compounders.

According to the American doctor’s report, Bhutan Report: Reconnaissance Trip - June 1962, two doctors were Bhutanese, one was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary, and the remaining four were Indians.

Both Bhutanese doctors received their medical training in India at Kolkata and Darbhanga medical schools, and were from Haa valley. The report confirms that the first doctor in the country was Karbo, and at the time of the American health reformist’s visit, “Dr Karbo has been practicing medicine in Bhutan for 20 years.”

Dr Karbo’s wife Aum Gaki said her husband worked in the Indian medicine service during the British Raj and also served their army during the WWII. With his military background, in 1962 he was made responsible for the Bhutan army medical services. During the time of the American doctor’s visit, he was the guide and interpreter, and the guest was greatly impressed by his quiet competence.

The second Bhutanese doctor, Tobgay, was much younger. The American doctor’s report said that the doctor had returned home immediately after finishing his medical course to serve the Bhutan government in Thimphu. At the time of Dr Taylor’s visit, the younger Bhutanese doctor was in Kalimpong getting refresher hospital experience.

The third doctor, Craig, was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary doctor. He ran the Chartres hospital in Kalimpong, India. As a good friend of the Dorjis, who were Bhutan’s trade agent, based in the same hill station, he knew Bhutan. For the last 25 years, he had already been helping set up a health system in our country. The report mentions that the Scottish doctor was close and cared for the royal family, and was now in Bhutan for two years as physician to the royal family.

By 1962, the missionary doctor had visited various parts of the country, conducting travelling dispensaries, often in company of the royal family. Dr Taylor, in his report, states that Dr Craig was doing a fantastic job and was impressed with his understanding of the health needs of the country. “At present he’s running the Thimphu hospital and has started a training class for six midwives.” Doctor Craig’s hospital in Kalimpong trained most of our compounders, who at the time of Dr Taylor’s visit, were serving in Bhutan.

The remaining four Indian doctors were brought in to care for the labour force on the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway construction.

“In connection with the road building program four Indian doctors were brought to Bhutan to care for the labour force. The director of this service is Dr Roy, a competent young Bengali.”

According to the 1962 reconnaissance health report, the twelve compounders were working in different parts of Bhutan. Half of them were staffed to run dispensaries in scattered and isolated valleys. The other half worked in the two established hospitals in the country. In addition to basic work in pharmacy, these men were given a broad preparation, designed to fit them for work in rural dispensaries, where they were expected to do general medical care and preventive work. “We observed one such compounder at work in Paro valley and were favourably impressed with his competence. Dr Craig has proposed that these men should also go to isolated farms on regular visiting tours and thus combines preventive and curative activities to scattered facilities,” the report stated. All the compounders received their training in India with Dr Craig at the Chartres hospital in Kalimpong.

At that time of the visit, there were only two nurses in the country. One worked at the hospital in Thimphu and the other ran the government dispensary in Haa valley. Again, both were trained in Kalimpong, in Chartres hospital. The report stated that the new training program initiated by Dr Craig for midwives was expected to fill this gap.

Already the health system was distressed. According to the report, the main problem was the shortage of qualified medical practitioners. For the three doctors, it was becoming impossible to supervise the 12 compounders and two nurses, who were spread across the country. Dr Taylor also stressed the importance for compounders and doctors to be in regularm as this created a favourable working relationship, which allowed both to make full use of their own aptitude.

In 1962, with only 21 qualified medical practitioners and with increasing awareness of health issues, the health system was feeling the pressure. Hence the American doctor was invited to do a reconnaissance study, so that the health system could be enhanced.

Source: Kuenselonline

Druk Chapchap construction defeated Phuntsho Drayang in two straight games in the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck memorial archery tournament

Druk Chapchap construction defeated Phuntsho Drayang in two straight games in the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck memorial archery tournament at the Changlimithang range in Thimpu yesterday.

Phuntsho Drayang secured 12 points in the first game and 17 in the second.

Meanwhile, in a match between Eastern Boys and Gang Thong, although the former completed the first set of the game, keeping their opponents at two points, the match could not be decided yesterday.

The second game in which Gang Thong led with 16 points over Eastern Boys, who’d scored 12, will be decided today.

Semthuen Charo will play Central Bhutan and Lungten Automobiles will face Nyamro Chenga tomorrow.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan on going Jigme Dorji Wangchuck memorial archery tournament

Bhutan Visit defeated Phunsum Dhendup Khorlo in two straight games in the ongoing Jigme Dorji Wangchuck memorial archery tournament on traditional equipment being played at the Changlimithang range in Thimphu.

Bhutan Visit finished the first game when its opponents managed 10 points. In the second game, which stretched to the second day of play, Bhutan Visit scored 25 points, while its opponents lagged behind at 14 points.

Likewise, Tashigang Radhi beat Chang Namcha in two straight games. Chang Namchag scored 13 in the first game set and manage a single point in the second game, which was stretched to the second day.

Since the annual archery tournament commenced on April 2, four teams have been sent out of the tournament. In today’s match, Phuntsho Drayang will play Chapchap construction and Geang Thong will take over Eston boys.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan security clearance certificate available online will happen this month

The long time awaited move to make security clearance certificate available online will happen this month, provided things go as planned.

The home ministry postponed its launch more than twice before.

Although the ministry officials claim the system was well in place, home minister Minjur Dorji said the launch would happen soon after the return of the director-in-charge, who was engaged in official work elsewhere.

A month before, ministry officials said they were waiting for the minister and secretary’s return, who were attending the mid-term review meetings then.

In December last year, the ministry had planned to go online starting January this year. They had missed the initial deadline of March 2010, because of the time spent in visiting the 20 dzongkhags for sensitisation program.

The ministry’s information and media officer, Jigme Singye, said everything was in place, but they are yet to finalise the launch date.

In an earlier interview, he said once the system was introduced, anyone across the country with an internet access, can avail the certificate within 24 hours.

He said an applicant’s information would go in parallel to the crime branch, census office and the law and order section of the home ministry. After verifying the details, the final version of the certificate will be sent to the police, from where it was to be discharged to the applicant.

Everyday, more than 100 people visit the royal Bhutan police’s security clearance office, in an attempt to avail the certificate. Some wait for at least a week before the job gets done.

Source: Kuenselonline

Groups of nomads from Trashigang’s northern community

Groups of nomads from Trashigang’s northern community are beginning to frequent the little town.

Clad in their maroon traditional costumes, 10 men from Sakteng appeared yesterday in front of the election office.

They were there to fulfil the process of filling up election forms, a prerequisite for filing in their nominations for the numerous local government posts.

The 10 rough-looking men were among those contesting for the gup, mangmi and tshogpa posts in the upcoming local government election.

Two recently passed the second functional literacy test and the rest completed the first.

The group walked for two days until Phongmey, before hitching a ride in a taxi towards Trashigang. Phongmey is about 35km from Trashigang.

Many of them said they foresaw opportunity to bring in developments to their community, besides exposure and experience they might gain in the course of running one big community.

Tswangpay, 36, who wants to contest the post of mangmi, said they wished to complete all paperwork and initial formalities to avoid any delay in the upcoming election.

“We have to make sure we have our no-objection-certificate, medical certificate and other such documents on time,” he said. “We live very far and can’t afford to be running to Trashigang for small formalities.”

Tswangpay attended non-formal education.

He intends to bring changes to his community that he said remained cut off for a long time.

Rinchen Letha, 31, contesting for gup’s post, said this was a call towards realising his ambition to do something big for his community and earn a reputation for himself.

“People of my community believe I can make a difference,” the class VIII drop out said. “It’s on their instance and belief that has me vying for the most important post in the local government.”

Except for two, the remaining 10 interested candidates for the upcoming election were interested in the gup and mangmi posts.

Younten Jamtsho, a retired lay monk, 38 has been a tshogpa for almost two years, and intends to contend for the same post.

“Being a tshogpa I’ve learnt, we’re more close to people and understand the issues facing them better,” he said.

He explained the salary structure of the tshogpas was unfair, especially given that they had to do most of the running-around, understood issues facing each individual in a community that made them the real representatives.

“For these reasons no one is interested in becoming a tshogpa,” he said. Others contesting for other two prestigious posts agreed many in their community expressed dissatisfaction over the miserly pay.

“In our entire community in Sakteng, we’ve only five people contesting for the tshogpa post,” he said. “The government really ought to do something about it.”

Failure to act on this matter would soon lead to disappearing of the post.

“The tshogpas are not given enough salary but the parliament members are entitled to state funds for campaigning,” one said, adding that no one raises this issues at the capital. “Our previous representatives, though not qualified, spoke on our behalf and bore our interests in mind.”

Rest of the candidates from Merak and Sakteng are expected to reach Trashigang today.

The dzongkhag electoral officer Sonam Wangdi said they were here to learn what to do before election and fill up the forms.

“We hope to have all the rest,” he said. “These group will hopefully inform the rest in their village.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan showing some important progress

Although the health ministry projects that about 893 people will live with HIV/AIDS by 2013, Bhutan is showing some important progress and true commitment to reaching universal access to HIV services, according to the UN resident coordinator Claire Van der Vaeren.

The resident coordinator was reflecting on Bhutan’s response to AIDS during the launch of the United Nations secretary-general’s report on HIV/AIDS in Bangkok yesterday, where Bhutan joined nearly 30 countries from Asia to review progress and challenges, and develop key actions for the way forward in the region’s efforts to ensure universal access to HIV services for all.

“Moving forward, one of our key challenges is continued funding support of the HIV and AIDS program in Bhutan,” said the resident coordinator. “We need to explore new and innovative avenues to ensure a sustainable AIDS response to improve the lives of Bhutanese men, women and children living with HIV and those vulnerable to infection.”

A press release from the UNDP office in Bhutan stated that, in Bhutan, there has been significant progress in scaling up HIV prevention and treatment, in providing free healthcare services and, importantly, in bringing Bhutanese living with HIV into the national response.

However, universal access across HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is still not a reality in the Asia-Pacific region, including Bhutan, it stated. Across the region, one in three people does not have access to treatment; 60 percent of people living with HIV in the region do not know their HIV status; and key affected communities continue to be subjected to stigma and discrimination, punitive laws, policies and practices, which obstruct access to services.

Many countries in the region – including those with or approaching middle-income status — rely heavily on international funding for their AIDS responses.

At the regional consultation, UNAIDS Asia-Pacific regional director, Steve Kraus, said that governments must create a new form of mutual accountability –government to government – to build a unified regional AIDS response beyond national borders.

“Governments in this region have the economic means to take on greater responsibility for financing AIDS, the results of which will directly impact their continued development,” he said.

ESCAP social development division director, Nanda Krairiksh, added: “The world’s most populous region can’t afford complacency on AIDS. Political leadership with civil society and the key affected communities as the cornerstone of the response requires fresh perspectives from the ground.”

Health officials, during the mid-term review meeting of the ministry last December, said that, of the many millennium development goals that Bhutan has been lauded for keeping steady towards meeting, reversing and stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 looked grim.

This, they said, was because, at the start of 10th Plan, the number of people detected with HIV was 140. The country’s projection is 893 HIV patients by 2013. Since the first case in 1993, the ministry has so far detected 217 cases. World Health Organisation estimates revealed Bhutan had 500 cases in 2008 alone.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: Dzongkha readers now have three newspapers to choose

Dzongkha readers now have three newspapers to choose from. The third newspaper was launched by the Secretary of the Dzongkha Development Commission, Dasho Sherab Gyeltshen on Sunday.

The Druk Gyalyong Sharshok, a weekly, will be available every Sunday.

An editor from the newspaper said the paper will help increase readership and help promote the national language.

Bhutan may not have to import coffee

Bhutan may not have to import coffee for long. We may soon be able to grow and produce our own coffee. It is possible. In fact, it is already being done in Hangey village in Samtse.

A few years ago, a few farmers here started cultivating coffee on trial basis. The trail was a success. The area, they have found, is favourable for coffee cultivation. Now a business firm is already planning on starting a plantation.

Deo Dikshit, the consultant, said “we grew different varieties of Arabica. It is the best coffee in the world.”

The firm will grow coffee in Hangay Kalamati and Sasboty in Sibsu on 300 acres of land leased from the government. It will soon be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture to start commercial production on a public private partnership.

“We are hoping to start by May or June, as soon as we complete all the formalities.”

It takes about four years for the coffee plants to start bearing fruit. The firm also plans to set up a production factory and export the coffee abroad.

“We hope to export to Europe, North America, Japan, Singapore and other coffee consuming countries and create a brand name for Bhutan,” said Deo Dikshit.

The firm has employed 16 farmers to work on the nursery. It plans to employ more once work on the plantation begins.

Buddhism and GNH appear like peas in a pod

Buddhism was so pure when it was born and first delivered to the world. Since then the great vehicle of compassion has been through an evolutionary process of constant change. Today, the way we practise the religion begs the question of whether it is already corrupt? If it is so, then it is a sign of the times. And it is only fitting to explore whether our other values have also suffered the same fate.

The religion has become a sanctuary of some sorts for the unsuccessful and the ambitious. Our practice of it is overwhelmed by the ever increasing reliance on it for success and protection. We have somehow settled down in the belief that praying for the well being of all beings somehow secures our own well being too. Every religious action is linked to our own welfare. We deliberately defy logic and common sense, and believe that our prayers have the “power to liberate” all beings. Numbers seem to matter the most as we target millions and billions bead by bead parrot-fashion. What is expected of us as Buddhists hardly becomes a source of inspiration for our practice? No matter how hard we try to believe in the inerrancy of the religious beliefs that we hold, and acknowledge the power of faith in our lives, it is difficult to wrestle down the inexorable view that Buddhism is certainly not about all these.

In a way, we have succeeded in ‘customising’ the religion to suit our own existence. When Buddhism actually requires us to remain aloof from worldly desires, we tend to use (or misuse) it to reach to those desires. We have become selfish to the extent that we are not even willing to accept what divine providence has to say about us through the numbers on the dice. We roll and reroll it, until the number that lands on the top of it is interpreted in our favour.

As Buddhists, it is challenging to clear one’s way out of the contradiction involving contentment and selflessness on the one hand, and the fervour with which we observe the rites and rituals with a rather strong material objective on the other. Our religious beliefs may be sacrosanct, but challenges such as these do haunt and fluster the ever inquisitive Buddhist minds, who try to make Buddhism relevant in their lives.

Buddhism and GNH appear like peas in a pod, at least in the way we have come to develop our understanding, expectation and the practice of it. Of course, associating the great vehicle of compassion with a development philosophy would be inapt, as the latter pales in comparison to the former by many measures. It nonetheless provides an opportunity to show how GNH too could have been possibly corrupted by the same people, who have corrupted Buddhism.

We are adamant in simplifying the great philosophy into something as narrow as individual happiness, and see it as a pair of hands that feeds and clothes every individual. Such association of the powerful concept with individual happiness only goes to show how it has become corrupt.

How could Bhutan ensure individual happiness, when rich nations like the US and Japan could not? We would be only chasing rainbows in trying to deliver happiness to every individual. It will never be achieved no matter how hard we try, for there is no limit to people’s desire for happiness. When it is in our culture to maintain the lifestyle of the rich, while our bank account might be suffering, how do we sustain such happiness? We have advocates of happiness for the masses, who slam GNH as being “ineffective”. But what is missing in their action is the will to nip something in the bud that will get them to their first base - corruption. There is so much in the rhetoric, but almost nothing in what can actually help achieve what they are advocating and championing. Perhaps the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

There is no denying that GNH represents a basic covenant between a nation and its people. But to say that that is the be-all and end-all in our grand scheme of things is debasing the powerful concept. We have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, if we believe the Buddha nature in us is still not corrupt. There are those, who chafe under the popular version of the GNH philosophy, wringing their hands to see that the concept be given the due respect and regard it deserves by the Bhutanese themselves first for what it is. We ought to understand that GNH is a common vision for our planet and its well-being. We ought to understand that it is about how we figure in the invisible cost of development in our calculations. We ought to understand that it is about assigning value to everything that is around us. That is why it is quite uncommon to be hit by a pang of realisation that perhaps we might have completely missed the wood for the trees.

But it is not that we do not know about it. We simply do not want to know about it. Sadly, there is a broad public apathy about what GNH is capable of. We want Gyalwong Gakid Pelzom to be dancing right in the middle of our living room. We are in pursuit of our own individual happiness. We have failed to recognise that GNH has come to symbolise the indefatigable spirit of a selfless King in pursuit of a fundamental change in the way we approach advancement into the future. And he needs our support to give it shape. But we are like ships that pass in the night when it comes to working together on GNH and providing him that support. Consequently, we still do not have a basic agreement on what constitutes GNH for us as Bhutanese. It might seem like a red rag to a bull, but it stands to reason that a people that have only their individual happiness in mind will never appreciate the greatness of the profound concept. That way, we are all perhaps complicit in debasing a great vision.

We simply write off GNH as an abstract philosophy and a utopian quest. Buddhism too is an abstract philosophy, and it does not even have an index to measure how enlightened one is. Yet, it has worked and accepted the world over, for and by those, who understood what it truly is, and who have not succumbed to self-serving impulses. How we give GNH the right kind of support depends on how we understand it and appreciate its potential. We cannot afford to have a seven-year itch, for GNH is our conviction. And it has to be the best. But we cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Everybody needs to pitch in with their best. For now, the real concern is that GNH is being corrupted faster than Buddhism. While it took about 2,500 years for the latter to get corrupted, the former took just 40 years. At this rate, we seem to be fighting a rearguard action against the forces from within our backyard. This, coupled with our relentless pursuit of trying to “extract” happiness out of GNH, we will have only ourselves later to blame for stifling the great philosophy to a mere shadow of what the thinker has originally envisioned, and have it sacrificed on the altar of individual happiness.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan is hosting an International Education Fair in the capital Thimphu

For the first time, Bhutan is hosting an International Education Fair in the capital Thimphu.

Fifty two Universities from India, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and the United States of America are participating in the fair, offering a wide range of courses.

Organised by the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with A Fair Exhibition Media, an Indian company, the fair is attracting a large number of students and parents looking for universities and colleges to enroll in. Most of the visitors are from Thimphu and the neighbouring districts but many have come from as far as Trashigang or Trashiyangtse.

Karsang Ugyen had come all the way from Trashiyangtse, travelling by bus for three days to the capital, to attend the fair. He secured 59 percent in the class XII examinations. There is no way he will qualify for admission in a government college. His only option is to pursue further studies at his own expense. That means looking for a college in India or elsewhere.

Ugyen did not come alone. He came with a group of friends, all looking for an affordable college.

The fair is a good opportunity for them. They don’t have to travel to outside Bhutan to look for a college at huge expense. And more importantly, they can saunter from stall to stall to choose and select from a great variety of courses and colleges in various countries.

The fair ends tomorrow.

Source: BBS

Bhutanese really love their neighbours

"If love of God is proved by love of neighbour, many Bhutanese are very close to God,” wrote Father William Mackey (1915-1995) in his unfinished book, and warranted it by saying that the Bhutanese really love their neighbours.

The Canadian Jesuit lived in Bhutan for 32 years, most of it in remote areas, where he assisted in setting up modern schools. In these institutions, he joined the students in their daily prayers and observed them. For him, this experience not only gave him an insight into Buddhism and enriched his life, but also allowed him to understand his own god and life more clearly.

The Guluphulus
For father, it was an evening ritual to wander through the dormitory, before the lights were turned out. There, he encountered students squatting on their beds, unconscious of the commotion around them. He described this as experiencing prayer. “They descend inside themselves, beneath the level of sense beneath the level of mind to the fundamental level of being.”

Father called this immobile meditation, where experience of reality is given importance and the practice to encounter oneness and uniqueness takes precedence over the intellectual approach (father thought this was a fallacy). Unlike his approach to god, he found his students approach more realistic. He said that they did not try to grasp infinite reality with their finite minds or through fixed concepts. He said it was impossible to do so, as no word or image can express an unlimited reality.

Moved by his student’s ability to calm their minds, he slowly began to follow their examples. “I can now squat peacefully for 45 minutes every morning, trying to experience the reality of god in my life,” father said. “The Bhutanese guluphulus (rascals) have taught me how to pray.”

According to father, the religion of Bhutan is more Lamaism Buddhism, and he believes it to have come from India via Tibet, infiltrated with a large dose of Tibetan tantrism, Chinese beliefs and doctrines.

Father was impressed with how the Bhutanese were close to reality. For example, he said it was common practice to make simple daily offerings. “The offering of the day with all its troubles, problems good and bad, one of the children will take the sangphur - little metal cup or vase - in which some leaves or sticks are burning and waft the smoke in front of their altar, and around the room. It is a daily Bhutanese morning offering of the day, good and bad difficulties and problems, to Sangye, Lord Buddha, asking for his help and guidance.”

Soon father’s approach to prayer became what he called, Bhutanese and Trinitarian. “I try to experience the reality of being father in being “I am”- an opportunity to be - a chance to suffer, work, and pray to make a little world a more loving place.

YabYum - Duality and Union
The Jesuit Dragon said that Lamaism propagated the practice of duality and union and, using a common sight as an example, explained the concept and experience of union that an individual can experience in this life. “Every temple contains statues and pictures; every home has its own statue of YabYum - Mother and Father squatting in the marriage act - similar to the Song of Songs in the Bible.”

Father said that this is how Bhutanese represent the union, the oneness of individual with the Supreme Being, one in mind and body, in affection and in love.

God - Who is he or her?
One of the fundamental differences between Buddhism and Christianity is the concept of God. The former faith accepts that all sentient beings have the seed of Buddha and can become one; while Christians believe in the concept of the Supreme Being. Buddhists are open to the idea of creation and happy to debate about it; while in the western world, god is seen as the creator.

Father said that the god he believes in is the Supreme Being and is omnipotent, omniscient and has ways and means that we know nothing about. However, like any Christian, Father believes that God is the creator and saviour. “God is at work in all religions. God has created all men. He wants to save all men.”

For a Buddhist, the reality of Supreme Being is too big to be included in a name or image. Father admitted this and said that the people of Bhutan represented this concept, in art as a small temple on top of a mountain with rays of light coming from the lhakhang or the monastery. Father agrees that no concepts can enclose the limitless. “No word or idea can express the unknowable. No mind can grasp the ungraspable.”

The Jesuit states that the Christian idea of experience is not appreciated. He believed that mirroring the Supreme Being is possible, and says that experience and love implies to all life and are fundamentally one. “All life is sacred because it mirrors something in an inferior way of the reality of the Supreme Being. There is no “I”; it does not mirror God. But God has mirrored the “I” and if it does not exist, that would imply a certain equality of being, a dualism of being that is not advaita, not two. A true Buddhist strives to strip his ego and eventually annihilate it, destroying the I.

“I can see God the Father, Son and Spirit actually, really at work in Lamaism. My work and life have been enriched by my contact with Lamaism.” Father reminds himself that, by living, working and praying with the Bhutanese, he could experience his god’s omniscience.

Father Mackey lived 32 years in Bhutan. During this time, the Roman Catholic never converted any of his students. Instead, he drew inspiration from the guluphulus and quietly reveals it in his book that never saw the light of day. The Canadian Jesuit acknowledged the spiritual depth of the Bhutanese, and admitted that it influenced his life and changed his perception of the concept of god and helped him become a better person; a good Christian, Catholic, Jesuit and priest, and prays that he could be a bridge between these two faiths and enrich them.

Source: Kuenselonline

The biogas capital of Bhutan

Gauri Shankar’s six cows not only provide him butter, cheese and milk, but also the energy to heat and cook food.

Since November last year, it has become an early morning routine for the 31-year old farmer of Hangay village in Sipsu to collect cow dung and fill it into a concrete pit a few metres from his kitchen.

The farmer gathers 45kg of dung in a tin, which is churned with water, and poured into the airtight digester pit. The gas from the pit comes up through a pipe with several valves that connects to a stove in the kitchen. The gas will last the entire day.

Having received a month-long hands-on training for trainers on biogas technology through the UNDP GEF small grants programme, Gauri Shankar now assists other members of the Hangay farmers group to build biogas plants.

Since November, they have completed 16 of the 25 plants funded by UNDP GEF small grants programme.

Farmers said earlier they had to travel to Samtse, about 50km from Sipsu, to refill their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, spending about Nu 800, including travel expenses. “Not anymore now,” Gauri Shankar said.

The 91 households of Hangay village are prone to wild elephants destroying their crop, which is why most farmers largely depend on livestock. Each household owns between two to 20 cattle each.

Another farmer Devi Maya, who recently installed biogas plant at her home, said rearing livestock was advantageous. “Apart from dairy products, there’s a lot more my cattle give me,” she said, excited.

Other farmers, who are not a part of the group, have also shown interest, said Gauri Shankar, who is also the group’s treasurer. “But they’ll have to bear their own expenses, if they want to build one and we shall assist them.”

Construction of a biogas plant is expected to cost between Nu 40,000 to 45,000 depending on the location; and includes the cost of the cement pit, stove, pipes and valves. A properly constructed and well-maintained biogas plant is said to last at least 20 years.

In fixed dome biogas plants, two underground pits are built – a digester pit with a dome shaped cover and the slurry reservoir, built above the digester. As the reservoir emits gas, it collects in the dome and displaces some of the slurry into the reservoir. As gas is used, the slurry flows back into the digester to replace it.

Biogas plants use bacteria to break down wet organic matter, like animal dung, human waste and food waste that produces biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, and also a semi-solid residue.

Biogas can also be used for lighting.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan construction of the Information Technology Park in Thimphu

The construction of the Information Technology Park, the Thimphu Tech Park, is on track. According to officials working for the project, about 50 percent of the construction works have been completed. The IT Park is expected to be operational by September this year.

Yesterday, a delegation from the World Bank led by the vice president for South Asia, Isabel Guerrero, visited the site to review the progress.

The park is being developed on five acres of land in Wangchutaba, a few kilometers south of the capital Thimphu.

Manju Haththotuwa, the advisor, said “it will generate jobs, help bring in foreign direct investments, and make Bhutan an IT based society.”

It is expected to create 700 direct and 2,800 indirect jobs in the next five years.

It is being developed by Thimphu Techpark private limited, a joint venture of Druk Holding and Investment, and Assetz, a property development firm which is based in India and Singapore at a cost of over 10 million US dollars.

Source: BBS

Bhutan His Majesty King arrives in Bangladesh

His Majesty is welcomed to Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a Guard of Honour yesterday. His Majesty is on a four-day state visit.

Japanese ambassador to Bhutan

The Japanese ambassador to Bhutan presented his credentials to His Majesty the King at the Tashichhodzong this morning.

Ambassador Akitaka Saiki was serving as the Director General for Asia and Oceania in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he was appointed as ambassador to Bhutan.

Later, His Majesty the King hosted a lunch for Ambassador Akitaka Saiki and his delegation and Japanese working in the capital.

His Majesty the King expressed his condolence for the recent tragic earthquake in Japan and the resultant tsunami in which thousands of people perished. Thousands are still missing and a countless number have been rendered homeless.

The Japanese ambassador conveyed his sincere thanks to His Majesty the King, the royal government, and the people of Bhutan for their support, solidarity, and good wishes. He said the Japanese people are deeply touched by the concern and the affection of the Bhutanese people, from His Majesty to the King to the cabinet ministers and common people.

“I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Bhutan for the tremendous help and support. I would like to thank for their condolence, the sympathy and the kind messages from the Bhutanese people. The messages are reaching the hearts of the Japanese people and the government,” he said.

He said despite the tragedy, the Japanese government’s commitment towards Bhutan will remain unchanged. He said their assistance in various areas will continue. “The assistance will continue but because of the disaster some delay has to be accepted. A commitment is a commitment,” he said.

Source: BBS

Bhutan finance ministry received Nu 1.3B from the World Bank yesterday

In a move that will help government strengthen and develop its institutions and rural infrastructure, among others, the finance ministry received Nu 1.3B from the World Bank yesterday.

The fund is more of a concessional loan than commercial borrowing.

Finance minister Wangdi Norbu said the concessional loan is not related to any specific project, but can be used for different types of expenditure, like the building of schools, hospitals and other capital assets.

“However, the amount cannot be utilised in meeting recurrent expenditure,” he said, adding that government’s establishment cost will have to be met from internal revenue.

Of the total, Nu 1,086M will be channeled towards the development policy credit, which will strengthen government institutions to promote efficiency and effectiveness through sound fiscal and public financial management.

The rest of the amount will be used for additional financing of the decentralised rural development project, targeted at strengthening local government administration through capacity building at a local level.

Bhutan's World Bank representative, Mark LaPrairie said the rural development project was also aimed at providing increased access to market, farm roads and in increasing agriculture productivity of cash crops.

“It will also focus on rural infrastructure development, support improved technologies and in institutional strengthening of the renewable natural resources sectors,” he said.

The original amount, negotiated some time in March 2005, was at USD 7M.

During World Bank's managing director Dr Ngozi Okonjo-lweala’s visit last year, Bhutan was assured of receiving concessionary loans until 2014, despite the per capita income disqualifying the country from receiving the assistance.

Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu said such type of concessionary loans will soon become less common, as the country gradually sees a domestic growth and develops, in terms of the per capita income.

Meanwhile, the signing of the financing agreement was postponed, following the High Court ruling on constitutional validity of receiving loans, that was considered a money bill and demanded its approval through the parliament.

But the Supreme Court had clarified that the government could raise loans and make grants in accordance to the Public Finance Act.

The agreement signing between the finance minister Wangdi Norbu and World Bank’s vice president Isabel Guerrero yesterday also marked the opening of the bank’s new office in Thimphu.

Officials said it will facilitate the bank to work closely with different branches of the government.

World Bank remains one of Bhutan’s major development partners starting 1983. Since then, it has financed over 13 loan projects amounting to USD 150.127M and 20 grant projects amounting to USD 62.970M.

Bhutan: Some truths to take home

Japan has always been known for being tectonically active.

Preempting disastrous quakes, it prepared relentlessly for years, like no other nations across the world, building seismic resistant structures, as global citizens watched in awe.

The March 11, 2011 earthquake, experts have said, was a result of movement along two major plate boundaries that caused a tremour almost a thousand times more powerful than what Bhutanese in the east experienced about two years ago.

Bhutan too has been warned of being situated on a fault line on the Himalayan range, where a major earthquake, much like the one Japan recently experienced, awaits to occur.

Although the government is educating people on disaster management and demanding strict building rules, geologists say it is high time Bhutan set up its own seismic stations to prepare itself for a disaster that is unpredictable but expected.

Geologist and expert on earthquake engineering Dr Karma Kuenza said, with seismic stations, the nation would know exactly which parts of Bhutan were prone to earthquakes. “If we need to know how Bhutan is behaving to earthquakes, we need to know our local zones,” he said. “We have no information of the sort today.”

Despite support from the government on the need for such stations, lack of budget, as always, stands in the way to implementing the plan.

Building the stations, he said, alone would cost Nu 67M.

“Work is underway and we’ve partnered with some universities and professors in Japan and Germany,” he said. “It should take a few more years for the stations to start running.” Once established, all portable stations placed across the country would be connected to a central system at the headquarters.

“They’ll be automatic, meaning when a major earthquake strikes, they’ll tell you in real time, the magnitude and location, and also record information on any other small earthquakes,” he said.

The 1950 Assam earthquake, Dr Karma Kuenza said, was about 80km away from the nearest Indo-Bhutan border.

“It was about 200km from Trashichhodzong, yet it destroyed a part of the dzong,” he said. “The effect of earthquakes, above magnitude eight, can be felt within a radius of 200km.”

In the last 100 years, about 18 large earthquakes occurred in the Himalayan region. The large earthquakes that were felt in Bhutan include the 1713 Arunachal Pradesh earthquake (M7.0), the 1897 Great Shillong earthquake (M8.3), the 1905 Kangra earthquake (M8.0), the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake (M8.1), the 1947 Assam earthquake (M7.8) and the 1950 Assam earthquake (M8.7).

Bhutan, he said, is divided into two zones by a fault. A fault is a place where earthquakes occur and both Japan and Bhutan are on fault lines.

“We’ve a major fault in Bhutan and so should expect earthquake mostly in the southern belt, because that’s where the earthquake faults are,” he said.

This fault runs more than 2,000km from east to west of Himalayas.

A study by a geologist from the university of Colorado has predicted that the region, where Bhutan is, should expect an earthquake of magnitude of 8, 8.2 or 9.

Dr Karma Kuenza explained that earthquakes occur when the stress built from the continuous movement of plates become too much that they break.

The study said that the Himalayan region is between the Tibetan plate, which is fixed and the Indian plate, which is moving and pushing, 2 cm every year. In 100 years, it would have moved by two metres and in 200 years, four metres.

“And if its four metres of strength accumulation, it will break and the impact of that would give an earthquake of 8 magnitude,” Dr Karma Kuenza said. “But, for the last more than 200 years, even with the four metres of strain, there has been no earthquake in the Himalayan range. And based on the movement and the prediction, we’re actually in a very crucial earthquake prone area.”

Bhutan doesn’t have data to divide itself into zones, safe or prone to earthquakes but based on India, eastern Bhutan falls on zone five and western Bhutan falls on zone four. This means it’s in a zone, where the biggest tremors of an earthquake can be felt.

“That’s why all structures built in Bhutan are built for a big earthquake, with bigger bars and columns and only five storied tall, which are more expensive,” Dr Karma Kuenza said. “And the last earthquake was a national wake up call.”

Like the 1923 quake in Japan, which initiated a massive effort to predict earthquakes and tsunamis. Scientists at Japanese universities received millions to support projects on earthquakes.

Bhutan has at least started.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutanese culture, an exhibition on traditional masks was inaugurated at the national museum, Ta dzong in Paro

In another effort at preserving Bhutanese culture, an exhibition on traditional masks was inaugurated on March 11, at the national museum, located at Ta dzong in Paro.

The director of the national museum, Khenpo Phuntshok Tashi, explained during the inauguration ceremony why such an exhibition had been created. He said that mask dances are an important aspect of Bhutanese culture and so the masks used in the dances had to be preserved. He said that it is important for Bhutanese citizens to know the various kinds of masks that exist, the differences between them, how they are manufactured, and who make them.

Khenpo Phuntshok Tashi added that the significance of the masks did not have to be limited to only Bhutanese. He said that the exhibition would also allow the significance of the masks to be shared with foreign visitors as well.

He pointed out that if the significance of the masks were not shared today, then it could become a reality that the masks are only used and viewed as entertainment, eventually to go extinct.

Chief guest at the function, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, also shared a similar perspective. He said that tsechus had to be continued and for that to happen, the significance of the masks had to be shared and preserved.

Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk pointed out that, despite Bhutan not remaining in self-imposed isolation and achieving a relatively giant leap out of medievalism, Bhutanese culture had still remained intact from the time of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. He pointed out that, as Bhutan is a small country, it was important to have an identity, especially with globalisation taking place.

A total of 161 traditional masks used in 21 religious dances or cham are now in display at the museum.

For instance, masks used in religious dances such as, among others, the guru tshengye, bardo cham, Peling gingsum ging and tsholing, and drametse ngacham are displayed.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan: Earthquake and Tsunami that hit north Japan

His Majesty the King and the Japanese community in Bhutan offer Karmi Tongchey (a thousand Butter lamps) and prayers at the Tashichhodzong yesterday, for the victims of the March 11 earthquake and Tsunami that hit north Japan on Friday.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan Gasa Dzong Renovation

Within a span of more than a year since work began, about 80 percent of the renovation works on Gasa dzong has been completed.

Dzongkhag officials are optimistic of being able to complete the project within the next six months, irrespective of the usual obstacles like roadblocks and carrying material to the site.


Although collection of local material began since 2008, Gasa dzongkhag’s junior engineer Kuenga Tshering said the real renovation work began in full swing only by October 2009.

Kuenga Tshering said initially Nu 4.7M was approved for the project, considering that the dzong would be renovated with same design as it stood before the fire damaged a part of the dzong.

“But later the design of a structure was changed which now would cost much dearer,” he said. “To incorporate those changes would cost the government around Nu 14.6M instead of the approved 4.7M.”

Those aspects aside, he said the dzongkhag was constructing two new structures.

“A two-storied structure has reached the roof stage, while the other structure is progressing just as quickly,” he said.

In the two-storied structure, the top storey served as the administrative block, while the lower one housed the Kagye lhakhang.

With the administrative block having moved to another new structure that was built just outside the dzong where they will remain, the previous administrative block will be turned into Mithrup lhakhang.

A dzongkhag official said they had to construct two new buildings outside the dzong for office space after the last fire.

“A building is already being used by administration and engineering cell, while the other is still under construction,” he said.

The apartment that previously accommodated the caretaker will serve as torkhang, room dedicated for monks to make ritual cakes or torma, of the dratshang once completed.

The Kagye lhakhang, the koenyer’s room, administrative block and an engineering cell of the Gasa dzong were reduced to rubble, and the main statues inside the lhakhang charred in the 2008 fire.

However, the 17th-century dzong and its main nangten (spiritual treasures) survived the potentially devastating fire.

“We’ve constructed a hostel for monks at Phulakha, about a 15-minute walk from the dzong, ever since the monks were rendered homeless after the fire, and the ongoing renovation work after it,” dzongkhag officials said. “They’ve yet to move to the new hostel.”

Kuenga Tshering pointed out that last year’s roadblocks between Punakha and Gasa closed the dzongkhag from the rest of the country for about a month, which hampered the work progress.

“We couldn’t transport construction material and even the labourers ran out of ration,” he said.

Today the road to Gasa has reached Zamina since last year, leaving a gap of about an hour’s walk to the dzong.

Although the road had reached Zamina last year, he said it was closed for traffic. Besides, road blocks from mud slides made unloading and carrying construction materials to the site from Gezapang, which is about a four-hour-walk from Gasa, difficult.

In absence of the road that reached Zamina, officials said even gathering local material to the work site was a major hurdle.

“People had to carry stones to the construction site, just as they had to carry timber from the forest,” he said.

Although workers were called at the site, they could not work comfortably throughout the year, because of the harsh weather the dzongkhag is known to brew.

Heavy showers in summers that made working at the site impossible and the snow in winter that froze construction material, besides working hours reduced as workers reached work site late in the morning and left early with the approaching dusk.

Around 50 workers, excluding villagers from the four gewogs of Laya, Khatoe, Khamay and Lunana providing voluntary services, are working towards the project on time.

Source: Kuenselonline

The Bhutan airline finalised its move into the domestic sector

Drukair has confirmed that it will enter the domestic air services market by a stipulated April deadline.

The national airline finalised its move into the domestic sector, following its board of directors meeting yesterday.

The chairperson of the airline’s board, Kesang Wangdi, told Kuensel that Drukair would “respond to the call of the government”. He pointed out that the government had selected both Drukair and Tashi group of companies’ Tashi Air, and that the national airline would be “letting down” the government if it did not enter operations.

In a surprise for both Drukair and Tashi, the government chose in December the two companies to operate domestically. According to the request for proposals (RFP) floated in July last year, only one company was supposed to have been selected.

Tashi had approached the government, expressing its concerns on the financial viability of such a move, earlier this month. With an untested domestic market, survivability of two operators was worrying the company.

This prompted the government to hold meetings with representatives of both companies. Following the meetings, the communications minister Nandalal Rai said that the government would not reverse its decision to see two operators in the domestic market. A Tashi representative chose not to comment until a further date.

“The board has considered all options,” said Kesang Wangdi, in response to whether similar viability concerns were shared by Drukair. “Viability is a concern for both airlines, it applies to Drukair as well,” he said. But he pointed out that tourist numbers are expected to increase. He added that the board saw the existence of two operators as “cooperation” rather than competition.

Drukair CEO, Tandin Jamso, also said that the domestic market is “uncertain” for the airline. He pointed out that, if competition is a factor, even the international sector could be of concern. “In the peak season we’re doing all right, but in the lean season, occupancy is below 50 percent.”

The CEO said that the airline is expecting to commence domestic operations by April. The national airline will be operating a twin-propeller ATR 42 aircraft for domestic and short haul international flights. “Drukair respects the RFP and will be guided by the RFP,” he said.

Source: Kuenselonline

His Majesty in Kuwait

His Majesty with the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife soon after arriving in Kuwait on February 25, to attend the 50th Anniversary of Independence, and the 20th Anniversary of Liberation of Kuwait. His Majesty leaves Kuwait for Thailand today.

Source: Kuenselonline