Klik here for: TODAY'S NEWS ON BHUTAN  

Bhutan map

Bhutan, the royal kingdom, is the only country in the world that forcibly exiled the largest percentage (about 20%) of its population, mainly the minority Lhotshampa citizens over the last decade; strategic ethnic cleansing of the modern history. They are stranded in the UNHCR refugee camps in east Nepal. Despite this, Bhutan is the only country in the world continiously receiving the highest percentage per capita international grant aid.

Bhutanese Lhotshampa refugees in Nepal

The king of Bhutan has made the first written constitution public on 26th March 2005. It was drafted under his command by a group of 39 elites and bureaucrats. The king did not allow to include any representative from the ethnic minority Lhotshampas. Eventually the draft constitution do not reflect the rights of the minorities are given, even not a sinlge word such as  'Hinduism/Hindu, Lhotshampas, minorities, refugee etc are incorporated in the consitution. Therefore the fear is that the rights of the minority Lhotshampas will be violated constitutionally which makes even more difficult for anyone to promote, protect the human rights in Bhutan. Because the constitution in its clause 2.15 gives the power to the monarchy to do anything saying, 'the king remains above the consitution and all activities He does will remain sancrosanct' this eventually  might lead to more dangerous violations of the rights of the people from behind the scene, more dangerously than before that forcible exiled about 20% of its population. Download Bhutan's draft constitution here.

TODAY'S NEWS ON BHUTAN.     Visit Bhutannewsonline. A news magazine with all the current coverages on Bhutan and links with necessary faculties both of government and private, maintained from exile.

NEWS ON BHUTANESE REFUGEES:     Visit Bhutanese refugees, forcibly exiled, mainly the minority Lhotshampa, now stranded stateless in the UNHCR run refugee camps in East Nepal. Nepal talked with Bhutan 14 times and fails to reptriate them. India is ignoring their plights.

International concern on Human Rights. Visit Amnesty International reports, that reveals the human cataclysm in and the realities of what has been happening in this Buddhist country

GOVERNMENT’S MEDIA:  Visit Kuensel, Bhutan’s national newspaper, the only print media released weekly in three languages, a government mouthpiece, covering the government’s side only. Private press is not encouraged. Its English edition is online. Visit RSF reports how Bhutanese media are.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH has been urging the Bhutanese regime not to make citizens statelessness.  It has visited the camps, verified and said, repatriation is the only solution.

BHUTAN'S RADIO& TV: visit BBS, The national Radio and TV that airs one news bulletin twice in a day in four languages, but mostly the government voice. No community radio allowed. TV covers only the capital city

The US country report of the HUMAN RAIGHTS PRACTICES of Bhutan. This gives insight into some human records. USA and Bhutan do not have diplomatic relation. Many issues such as political disappearence is yet to be escalated.

DONORS: The Netherlands’ SNV and Germany’s GTZ and Swiss Helvetas, Austria’s Cooperation Bureau ABC and, Denmark’s DANIDA and India are theactive development parter of Bhutan. Very little is covered on Bhutan in Dutch media. Download Bhutaanse uitgedwondegcrisis heir

Witnesses of the Refugees. Visit Bhootan for the thesis by two scholars and other stories.

UN in BHUTAN:   Visit UNDP in Thimphu. It features only the developmental news of Bhutan in the area it is helping and waives aside the human rights record

CIA World fact book on Bhutan.Download a visual presentation here

I dream of a society where no one has to separate him/herself for the urgent need of the survival