May, 2009
May play host to SAARC heads of state
Ministers, et al, will move in six months after earlier October 2009 deadline 31 May, 2009 - The Nu 455m enclave, popularly called the minister's enclave, is being prepared for the first SAARC summit in Bhutan in April 2010, which means that the cabinet ministers will not move into their new ... [more]
All entrants to be screened
As of May 19, 40 countries have officially reported 10,243 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 80 deaths 22 May, 2009 - With Swine Flu (influenza A H1N1) confirmed in India on May 16, the health ministry, officials say, is on its toes to prevent the deadly virus ... [more]
The 51 Kashos of the 4th Druk Gyalpo
Portrait of a Leader, Looking through the Looking-Glass of His Majesty's Decrees Mieko Nishimizu The Centre for Bhutan Studies 249 pages 12 May, 2009 - "All the people in Bhutan, be they the royal family, civil or armed officials and the citizens, whether rich or poor, are equal before the law," ... [more]
Not above the law
11 May, 2009 - The arbitrary transfer of 12 dzongdags and the reappointment of three as directors in the ministry of home and cultural affairs by the Cabinet throw serious doubt on the government's promise of respect for law and transparency. It is disturbing. Surely, the Prime Minister did not mean ... [more]
Police abuse of power
10 May, 2009 - Over the past months, there has been an unsettling drumbeat of incidents, where the police have been found to use their badges to falsely arrest and illegally hold private Bhutanese citizens in prison. Two Lhuentse cases, in particular, beg an increased and urgent attention on the ... [more]
NEC under question
11 May, 2009 - With a spate of environmental violations being unearthed in Bjemina quarry, S D Eastern coalmines, Samtse talc mines and others, concerns are raised over what the national environment commission (NEC), the regulatory authority for the issuance of environment clearance certificate, is doing. NEC is the sole autonomous ... [more]
Celebrating cricket’s century
WIELDING THE UNIVERSAL WILLOW: The cricket bug seems to have bitten some young members of the monk body too. 11 May, 2009 - Cricket is an emerging game in Bhutan, and its popularity is fast spreading. This was evident from the number of cricket fans, who gathered at the Cricket Carnival ... [more]
Plastic proscription (Part 2)
Will a second ban on the ubiquitous plastic bag be more successful than the first? 10 May, 2009 - More than a decade after the government banned the use and sale of plastic bags in the country, the ministry of economic affairs is reinforcing the ban. In a notification yesterday, the ... [more]
Who’s spying on my computer?
Internet security has everything to do with being IT savvy 10 May, 2009 - The personal email addresses of Lyonpos Khandu Wangchuk and Thakur Singh Powdyel, displayed on the Who's Who page of the Bhutan portal website, were vulnerable security threats, said Internet security expert, Boaz Shmueli. The expert, a ... [more]
Buddhist Answers
LAM SHENPHEN ZANGPO 10 May, 2009 - Building up bodhicitta for a better world Compassion is the essence of Buddhism, but many Buddhists spend time and money going on pilgrimage tours or making merit only for themselves. Isn't this a contradiction? That's a good point. Let's explore how compassion is linked with undertaking ... [more]