Bhutan’s Human Rights Record Defies ‘Happiness’ Claim

The UNHRC is looking at Bhutan’s record on human rights. It is less than stellar.
By VISHAL ARORA.

Bhutan takes pride in, and is internationally acclaimed for, its unique policy of gross national happiness(GNH), which measures the nation’s progress in terms of the wellbeing of its citizens. However, Bhutan’s claim to fame may fall flat when the UN Human Rights Council evaluates how well this nation has respected the rights of its people on April 30.

During its first universal periodic review (UPR) in 2009, Bhutan stated in its report, “Ultimately the Royal Government believes that without the enjoyment of all human rights, Gross National Happiness, to which it is also deeply committed, cannot be achieved.”

Many nations, including Japan and Canada, have expressed aspirations to emulate GNH, which shuns purely economic yardsticks like gross domestic product (GDP), on the assumption that the policy has resulted in Bhutan’s people being happier than elsewhere. But happiness goes hand-in-hand with human rights. So does Bhutan really have respect for human rights?

Based on concerns raised by member nations, the Council made 99 recommendations to Bhutan, and Thimphu agreed, or pledged, to implement more than 70 of them. Statistically, it was an impressive response. But a qualitative look at the ones Bhutan remained uncommitted to paints an uninspiring picture.

Notable recommendations to which Bhutan chose not to give a clear response included abolition of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity and religion, resolution of the Bhutanese refugee issue, protection of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, formation of an independent human rights commission and civil society organizations, and ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Discrimination

Among the main stakeholders in these recommendations were the “Lhotshampas,” as Bhutan’s southerners are called. They are part of the nation’s ethnic Nepalese minority. While some of them have risen to become ministers, many others do not even have full citizenship rights.

The citizenship ID cards the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs issues to them contain seven categories. Category 1 is,,,,,

Lethbridge home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada.

Lethbridge is one of the most sought after cities for Bhutanese refugees who want to call Canada home.
At the end of May, 50 additional refugees will be moving to the Lethbridge which means Lethbridge will have the largest population of Bhutanese in the country.

Hundreds of Bhutanese spend their days learning English, many of them struggling to adjust because they have never spent a day in their lives in school.

Elma Guinto, Director of Flexibility Learning Systems says while many of the Bhutanese they work with have never gone to school they do end up working.

“We work with them and eventually over 90 per cent of them will get a job in Lethbridge.”

Vic Rizel, a 30-year-old Bhutan who moved here 5 years ago now has a full-time job at Lethbridge Immigrant Services. Rizel is just one of thousand Bhutanese refugees from the small Asian country who call Lethbridge home.

“They see prospects here they see growth and they like the people and place,” said Rizel. “That’s why it’s a centre of attraction for a lot of the refugees.”

Sarah Amies the program director with Lethbridge Immigrant Services