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

Bhutanese facing resettlement ‘hassle’

By.Chetan Adhikari.

The third country resettlement programme has become more of a hassle than convenience for a large number of Bhutanese refugees at Beldangi Camp in the district. Frequent delays in their resettlement process have taken its toll on those vying for resettlement.

For instance, Lok Bahadur Bhattarai, his wife and four children were all set with their bags packed to fly to Canada 13 months ago. However, due to unspecified reasons they failed to live their dream. It is the fourth time their resettlement date has been postponed. Each time they sell their belongings to prepare for their resettlement and give their shanty to others, they are compelled to start afresh.

The Bhattarai couple remains ignorant as to why the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) postponed their resettlement repeatedly. However, despite frequent delays in the resettlement programme, they are still clinging on to it with a glimmer of hope.Likewise, Tilak Bahadur Bhattrai of Shanty Number 39 at the camp in Beldangi-3, who applied for resettlement four years ago, was called for interviews many times. However, for the past one year he has neither been called for an interview nor has his process gained momentum. In a letter addressed to the camp manager’s office, Tilak has stated that the UNHCR did not contact him after his confession about his stint in the Bhutanese armed forces and his friends’ visits to the camp. His three daughters have resettled in the US while the family has been living in the camp with a young daughter.

Likewise, a family has been facing problems for the past five years due to inaccuracies in dates recorded by the UNHCR’s interviewer and one recorded by the Nepal government official regarding the time they were driven away by the Bhutanese government. The UNHCR

US resettles 75,000 Bhutanese refugees from Camps.

Of the nearly 89,000 Bhutanese refugees resettled in the third countries so far, the United States of America (USA) alone has resettled 75,000 Bhutanese refugees as of Tuesday. 

According to the US embassy in Kathmandu, the 75,000th refugee from Bhutan departed from Nepal for the USA on Tuesday. 

Forty-four-year-old Tilak Chand Ghimire left Nepal with his wife, 12-year-old daughter and 75-year-old parents to start a new life in Akron, Ohio

Interview with Danielle about Hinduism

Raised Catholic, and considering herself spiritual for many years, Danielle decided to convert to Hinduism at age 16. The name Gauri Maheshwari was given to Danielle by one of the priests at the temple upon her decision to be a Hindu. At the time of this interview she is 18 years old. 

Hinduism is a way of life for Danielle. In fact, it is the very essence of life and gives her purpose in all she does. It makes her a kinder, gentler person because she realizes that God is in everyone and so she must treat people the way she would treat God. Danielle worships in her puja room at home and at the Hindu Temple in St. Louis.

Bhutanese Home Minister and Speaker sentenced

Breaking news:  The Mongar district court this morning sentenced National Assembly Speaker Jigme Tshultim to  two and a half years in prison for official misconduct in the Gyalpoizhing  land allotment  case. He was found guilty of illegally allotting plots to 23 individuals including his maid during his tenure as the Mongar Dzongda and chairman of the plot allotment committee in 2001-02. The verdict said the plot allotted to his maid must be given back to the government. There will be separate hearings for the others who were illegally allotted plots.

The Mongar court also sentenced the Home Minister Minjur Dorji to a year in prison for official misconduct in allotting plots to two dratshangs and  the wife of a Kurichhu project engineer during his tenure as the Mongar Dzongda in 2005-06 and as chairman of the plot allotment committee. The verdict said the plots must be returned to the government.