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Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

Laxmi Jayanti observed in Adelaide

Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:16 PM PDT

Participants of the function/ Photo: Jogen Gazmere

Bhutanese and Nepalese community in Adelaide, Australia celebrated the 102 birth anniversary of great Nepali poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota amidst a special function on Saturday.

At the beginning of the function, the participants observed silence for a minute in memory of Druk National Congress president Rongthong Kunley Dorji and prayed for the peace of departed soul. Dorji died recently in Sikkim due to liver ailments.

The function was jointly organised by International Nepali Literary Society (INLS) Australia chapter and Bhutanese Association in South Australia (BASA). The organisations had come together in Bhanu Jayanti to organise literary function earlier this year.

According to Bhuwan Sharma, INLS-Australia chapter president, the function has been organised in advance considering the tight working and studying schedules of the Nepali speaking community here.

Over a dozen personal poems were recited. They range from politics to satire and love to nature. Participants also recited Devkota's poems including Pagal (Lunatic) and Muna Mada, the most popular creation of Devkota. They also sang Devkota's poem Kun Mandirma Janchau Yatri. Participants were awarded certificate of their participation.

Nepalese businessman in Adelaide and INLS founding chairman Deepak Bista expressed satisfaction over joint initiatives of Bhutanese and Nepalese community in Adelaide to keep Nepali literature alive in Diaspora. BASA chairperson Jogen Gazmere expressed hope to organise more literary and culture functions in future with joint efforts of the two communities and thanked Sagarmatha Restaurant and Anil Ranabhat for sponsorship of the function.

The judiciary in Bhutan is still under influences of the autocratic regime of the past upholding verdicts that are intended to crush all possible oppositions in the country.

Few days before the death of freedom fighter Rongthong Kunley, his supporters in Bhutan, now serving jail sentence, have been given additional prison sentences. And it was all done in courtrooms when these DNC activists fail to get any attorneys to speak in their favour.

According to high Court verdict, Rinzin Wangdi will serve additional seven years and six months in jail apart from his previous 25 years. He was slapped this confinement for allegedly planting bombs in November 1997 in Chamlimithang ground to disrupt the birthday celebrations of King Jigme Singye.

Now he has been charged of violating the national security act. According to allegations, he snapped the photos of all political prisoners in Thimphu jail using an smartphone and sent it to Druk National Congress in exile – whose founding leader has expired.

I saw the photos of the Thimphu prisoners during the annual convention of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Society in Delhi. However, it is not clear whether the party collected these photos from the inmates' family or Wangdi leaked them to exile.

According to allegations, Wangdi befriended a police constable Thinley Tobgay to use his phone and take pictures. The court has also slapped same jail term to Tobgay for aiding Wangdi to leak out information.

Under human rights norms, it is not violations to publish the photos of inmates and campaign for their release. It is other story for the campaign to prove he/she is not guilty – through evidences. And this is the first instance I read that an inmate has been extended his jail term for giving someone his photos.

No doubt, Bhutanese inmates charged of anti-government activities never get any attorneys to defend them and court verdicts are based on what police and government produce documents against him. A single inmate locked up in jail, without attorney and witness, will absolutely fail to produce any evidence of his innocence. That's what stories go on in Bhutan for political activists.

The autocracy continues to thrive in Bhutan. Fabricated democracy gives them no space to enjoy fundamental rights. It has added pain to already paining DNC in exile. Very sorry to hear that.

Condolence continues, BMS to bring special publication on Late Dorji

Posted: 22 Oct 2011 05:08 AM PDT

Condolences pour in as Bhutanese mourn the death of R.K Dorji's death. Rajan Giri sent a condolence letter on behalf of the Youth Organization of Bhutan (YOB) to late Dorji's family and members of DNC.In the condolence letter Giri writes," Continuous and tireless efforts for the repatriation of Bhutanese refugees and establishment of inclusive democracy had always been his primary struggle until this death despite having lived with chronic ailment and health related complications".

Bhutanese community of Netherlands(BCN) and Organisation of Bhutanese of Community in America(OBCA) have aslo seperately expressed heartfelt condolence to the family members and cadres of DNC. "BCN joins the Bhutanese Community in other part of the world in grieving the loss of a man who has spent his life advocating for Human
Rights and Democracy in Bhutan”,BCN writes on the condolence message.

OBCA recalls late Dorji as stunt believer of democracy.OBCA writes on the condolence message,”The people of Bhutan, both inside and in exile, have seen how fearlessly and tirelessly that he fought for his people and community”.

Similarly Bhutan Media Society (BMS) has expressed its condolence to the family members of Late Dorji. BMS is planning a special publication on Late R.K Dorji for which it has requested Bhutanese community to contribute articles including memories, commentaries and any other form of write-ups dedicated to late Dorji by the end of October.