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Vol. 6, October 2017
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Editor Speaks
Bhutan - A Shangri - La without Human Rights
No one can deny Bhutan is truly a Shangri-La but only in its physicality. The lush green valleys, snowcapped mountains, dense forest cover, flora and fauna and built in structures – the scenic buildings and human settlements throughout the country presents a panoramic view any tourist would long for. It is indeed a heaven – the last Shangri-La on earth. But like it is said an elephant has two sets of teeth, one for showing and the other for chewing, the Bhutan government's projection of the country to the world is something like this. Tourists do not have access to certain parts of east Bhutan and the south. They see what the government wants them to see. In 1992, when some tourists asked for a visit to Chirang Bhutan, they were denied access citing the situation is not safe for visitors lest they would know what's going on behind the veils of the Shangri-La. It can thus be said that south Bhutan has continued to be shielded from the view for the outside world even to this day.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister on the other day said that the refugees in the camps in Nepal are not Bhutanese. This often-touted rhetoric will not have buyers any more. As it is said you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time, Bhutan is only lying to itself. The world knows what is going on in Bhutan. AHURA Bhutan's digitalized database of Bhutanese refugees released in 2000 covering documentation in all the camps in east Nepal revealed beyond any doubt that98 percent of Bhutanese refugees have valid evidences to prove that they originated in Bhutan. The rest 2 percent had the misfortune of house fire or that their document had been seized by the authorities in Bhutan. This leaves no doubt that the Shangri-La country out rightly denied the right to nationality which is a violation of fundamental human rights.
After the seventh round of Bhutan-Nepal bilateral talks, in 1996, Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, the Nepalese Foreign Minister remarked, 'Bhutan says these people are not Bhutanese. We know they were in Bhutan before coming to the camps in Nepal. And they should turn back home. If Bhutan's law does not provide citizenship to its people then Nepal's law too cannot give citizenship to refugees. In essence, these are stateless people which is a violation of international human rights'.
You cannot uproot all other flowers just because you only wanted roses. It is variety that makes life beautiful. One miscalculation of the rulers in Thimphu is to order painting of all houses and structures throughout Bhutan in the art style of the ruling ethnic group. A southern Bhutanese does not even have the right to paint his house the way he likes. What kind of human rights is this? Some of the other violations of human rights include denial of religious freedom, economic disparities, language ban, familial break up because of eviction, disproportionate representation of south Bhutanese in the government and the parliament etc.
Everybody wants Bhutan to remain a true Shangri-La. But for that pride to be Bhutan's pride and world's envy the rulers must get few things straightened out. Uphold the rights and freedoms set forth in the UN Human rights instruments as a common standard of achievement for all people. Allow a free visa to Bhutanese spread around the world. Allow access to tourists to visit any part of the country. Enact laws that guarantees right to nationality, worship and non-discrimination as to race, sex, language, color, culture, caste, creed, political or other conscientiously held beliefs.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister on the other day said that the refugees in the camps in Nepal are not Bhutanese. This often-touted rhetoric will not have buyers any more. As it is said you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time, Bhutan is only lying to itself. The world knows what is going on in Bhutan. AHURA Bhutan's digitalized database of Bhutanese refugees released in 2000 covering documentation in all the camps in east Nepal revealed beyond any doubt that98 percent of Bhutanese refugees have valid evidences to prove that they originated in Bhutan. The rest 2 percent had the misfortune of house fire or that their document had been seized by the authorities in Bhutan. This leaves no doubt that the Shangri-La country out rightly denied the right to nationality which is a violation of fundamental human rights.
After the seventh round of Bhutan-Nepal bilateral talks, in 1996, Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, the Nepalese Foreign Minister remarked, 'Bhutan says these people are not Bhutanese. We know they were in Bhutan before coming to the camps in Nepal. And they should turn back home. If Bhutan's law does not provide citizenship to its people then Nepal's law too cannot give citizenship to refugees. In essence, these are stateless people which is a violation of international human rights'.
You cannot uproot all other flowers just because you only wanted roses. It is variety that makes life beautiful. One miscalculation of the rulers in Thimphu is to order painting of all houses and structures throughout Bhutan in the art style of the ruling ethnic group. A southern Bhutanese does not even have the right to paint his house the way he likes. What kind of human rights is this? Some of the other violations of human rights include denial of religious freedom, economic disparities, language ban, familial break up because of eviction, disproportionate representation of south Bhutanese in the government and the parliament etc.
Everybody wants Bhutan to remain a true Shangri-La. But for that pride to be Bhutan's pride and world's envy the rulers must get few things straightened out. Uphold the rights and freedoms set forth in the UN Human rights instruments as a common standard of achievement for all people. Allow a free visa to Bhutanese spread around the world. Allow access to tourists to visit any part of the country. Enact laws that guarantees right to nationality, worship and non-discrimination as to race, sex, language, color, culture, caste, creed, political or other conscientiously held beliefs.
- DILIP BISHWO
Sports Update – BCI Girls Play Nebraska Soccer
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Girls soccer team from Des Moines and the outskirts participated on behalf of the Bhutanese Community in Iowa in a two-day tournament organized by the Bhutanese Community in Nebraska side by side with the Organization of Bhutanese Community inAmerica's convention held there between July 29-30, 2017. The other participatingBhutanese girls teams included Kansas city, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa.
Mr. Tilak Gurung, the BCI President who escorted the girls to the tournament informed that the girls could not make it in the last match despite a strong struggle. The team was able to participate in the tournament with the donations given by our community members. The BCI heartily thanks them all for this sportive spirit. |
BCI Team Meets Experts
BCI team met Mark French, a social activist and Joshua Barr, the civil and human rights Director of the city of Des Moines last week of July in two separate meetings to learn about some very important human rights questions related to the work. Some of them included the impression on the journal, scope and limitation for the publicity, right to advocate for the human rights of the people in Bhutan, in the camps and the welfare of the Bhutanese in Iowa. Both the experts were unanimous in their opinion that the editorial in the journal was bit too long for the American Public. They however stressed that it was absolutely all right to talk about human rights. Mark French went to the extent of saying 'you will be ashamed if you didn't'.
Also in the agenda was a query on the possibility of forming a Nepali speaking Bhutanese support group in America. To this Joshua Barr asked what we want the support group to do. The BCI representatives said that the first thing is the formation of a group, mobilizing support and fund, advocate for the cause of all Bhutanese, sponsor a meeting of the Bhutanese team with the President. The BCI hopes that the President's public statement about the injustices in Bhutan then and now would go a long way in accounting human rights violation in Bhutan and establishing a humane environment in the future. After a series of discussion on it, they finally suggested that we go through the channel of US Congressmen and Senators to pursue our issue to the highest level in the US. Mark French even gave a link of the Congressmen to the BCI team.
Also in the agenda was a query on the possibility of forming a Nepali speaking Bhutanese support group in America. To this Joshua Barr asked what we want the support group to do. The BCI representatives said that the first thing is the formation of a group, mobilizing support and fund, advocate for the cause of all Bhutanese, sponsor a meeting of the Bhutanese team with the President. The BCI hopes that the President's public statement about the injustices in Bhutan then and now would go a long way in accounting human rights violation in Bhutan and establishing a humane environment in the future. After a series of discussion on it, they finally suggested that we go through the channel of US Congressmen and Senators to pursue our issue to the highest level in the US. Mark French even gave a link of the Congressmen to the BCI team.
VOICES OF VICTIMS: A SPECIMEN OF RACIST REPRESSION IN BHUTAN
My name is Dilliram Adhikari aged 73 years from Naya Busty, Setikhare village of Gaylephug in Southern Bhutan. I and my three-member family owned 3 acres of agricultural land. I was born in Surey Bhutan and later moved to Gaylegphug under the government's scheme of distributing land to the landless.
Initially we contributed as laborers in school, hospitals and road construction with minimum wages. Schools were opened and road leading to Tongsa was opened too. We were even made to carry loads to Shemgang. During those days, land used to be given to the landless. Our children went to school although it was only in Nepali. English was introduced in schools later. Comparatively, there was freedom to wear the dress of your choice and practice your religion and culture.
However, things started turning the other way round when the government started imposing restrictions on wearing your dress. It was made mandatory to wear the northern Bhutanese costume 'Bakhu' all the time including while ploughing the field, market place etc. Likewise, the cultural and religious freedom was also curtailed.
As in other parts of south Bhutan, there was census categorization of people into seven different categories rendering thousands as non-Bhutanese. To legitimize eviction, the government introduced the so called voluntary migration forms forcing thousands of south Bhutanese to sign this forms at gunpoint. My immediate cause of fleeing from my country is a threat of arrest on my brother who left fearing persecution and the rest of our family followed.
Initially we contributed as laborers in school, hospitals and road construction with minimum wages. Schools were opened and road leading to Tongsa was opened too. We were even made to carry loads to Shemgang. During those days, land used to be given to the landless. Our children went to school although it was only in Nepali. English was introduced in schools later. Comparatively, there was freedom to wear the dress of your choice and practice your religion and culture.
However, things started turning the other way round when the government started imposing restrictions on wearing your dress. It was made mandatory to wear the northern Bhutanese costume 'Bakhu' all the time including while ploughing the field, market place etc. Likewise, the cultural and religious freedom was also curtailed.
As in other parts of south Bhutan, there was census categorization of people into seven different categories rendering thousands as non-Bhutanese. To legitimize eviction, the government introduced the so called voluntary migration forms forcing thousands of south Bhutanese to sign this forms at gunpoint. My immediate cause of fleeing from my country is a threat of arrest on my brother who left fearing persecution and the rest of our family followed.
Human rights educator
Article 7: UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
The BCI Journal
Published by: The Bhutanese Community in Iowa (BCI) | 4121 SE 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50320 | bci@bhutaniowa.org
