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Introduction:
The current crisis which has been afflicting Bhutan
since last ten years is the fruit of the seeds sown by the inherent unsecured political
institution of absolute monarchy. Alarmed by the tremor of the global upsurge of
democratic movement in the eighties it experienced, government enacted some biased laws
and regulations victimizing the Southern Bhutanese directly. This strategy essentially to
divert national attention from the outside and prevent any possibility of nation wide call
for democratic reforms and ensure the continuity of privileges
of a selected few guaranteed by absolute monarchy.
Some Biased Acts and
Discriminatory Policies:
- Census Policy:The
crux of current crisis is the fundamental issue of, nationality right of citizens. the
Citizenship Act of 1985 which was implemented in 1988 making 1958 as the cut off year,
requiring everyone to produce and land tax receipt of 1958 as a proof of domicile in
country. The malafide intentions of the government became fully stark when the census team
refused to acknowledge receipts issued prior to 1958.
- Driglam Namza - A
Cultural Invasion: To further add to the woes of southern Bhutanese, Driglam
Namza, a code of etiquette of the ruling class was imposed in 1988. It directly
interferes with one's personal rights as one has to follow, the prescribed culture, and
tradition. The use of the weapon of Driglam Namza to invade the culture
and tradition of other ethnic groups is an unprecedented cultural genocide in the history
of mankind and an open non-compliance to Article 27 of UDHR.
- Greenbelt Policy:
In contradiction to government's plan to give priority to the agricultural
sector
in order to achieve self sufficiency in food grain, the "green belt" policy,
which aimed at converting one kilometer wide east and west arable southern
border into
forest was advocated.
If implemented, the policy would have displaced
around 30% of the population from their original settlement. So, it was more a policy, with
utter political motive, has now become clear with the government felling down immature
forest plantation in the south to meet its financial needs.
- Forced Labour: Though
serfdom or slavery was completely abolished, in
1986 the National Assembly resolved to form
"National Workforce" a force of Workers
to meet labour requirements of the
country This discriminatory policy required, at times coerced people, to enter into a
contract for two years, which in many instances the contract never expired.
The labour conscription from southern Bhutanese for government and private
estates lasts from fifteen days to a year. And those who are demanded labour for having
shown their sympathy towards the Human Rights activists or having participated in the
demonstration or given donations are never paid. This policy has greatly affected people's
economy in the south and has added to their misery and has made the mockery
of Article 4 at the UDHR.
- Education Policy:
As in other departments/ministries, like Foreign Affairs, Civil Administration,
Druk Air, Immigration and Census, Education Department is one, where
government never given
jobs to a Southern Bhutanese. Even the post of a school principal is reserved
for the
ruling class.
The Right to Education constitutionally
guaranteed in the civilized nations does not
prevail in Bhutan. Even the limited available
schools facilities are not distributed fairly;
for e.g. out of ten high schools only two are in the south and two in the
east. Nepali language is removed from the school curriculum and Nepali books
were burnt and Dzongkha the language of 12-15% population is made compulsory
and the only limiting factor for getting admission in the schools and college
and seeking employment.
The college offers very limited subjects
and the scholars are compelled to study as per the interest of the Government.
The study of Human Rights, Political Science etc. are unimaginable. The
government in Bhutan has grossly violated Article 26 of UDHR.
Public dissent and governments counter
action
The worst part of the policies was
Government's high-handedness in implementation by over zealous officials which
prompted a cohesive reaction from the students and led to the formation of SUB
on March 23,1988 in Sherubtse College, Kanglung Bhutan. This was followed
by similar action by students in other institutions like Deothang Polytechnic
and National Institute of Education(NIE) Samchi, Mr. Tek Nath Rizal, the then
Royal Advisory Councilor, has to flee the country
after three days of harrowing interrogation and
torture for having dared to apprise the King about the high handedness of the
census team and seeking his intervention into improper conduct of census
exercise.
Immense tolerance
and every attempt by southern Bhutanese to adjust to the way of life conditioned
by the government, failed to win any sympathy. Instead, the government carried
with greater intensity and brutality, the plan designed towards the
accomplishment of ultimate crime "Cultural
genocide".
The students volunteers were compelled to
come out in the streets to voice against the draconian policies and regulations
of the government in 1990. But the Government instead of recognizing the genuine
cause of the people resorted to gun solution and came down hard against the
display of public dissent.
Between October 20th to November 1990 the
King and his close hard-line associates sat chalking out master plan for
countering the crisis. It was decided that the army should be raised to over
20,000 strong men. The difference in land shown by the cadastral
survey and the earlier survey with the excuse of illegal land encroachment would
be confiscated.
The development activity in the south have
been frozen in order to shield southern Bhutanese from exposure to external
visitors and also to meet Government expenditure to handle the crisis. The
Government started giving arms training in six newly opened training centres to
other groups and started instilling in them a feeling of hatred against the
Nepali speaking Bhutanese. Thus arousing passions and promising suitable rewards
like allotment of lands and other opportunities specially to Sarchops in the
east, if they supported the monarch.
At the same time the Royal Government of
Bhutan made hue and cry
about the non-violent movement and tried to label it as an anti-national
terrorist movement by illegal economic immigrant
and a handful of politically motivated people. It further tried to justify its
every sinful deeds in the name of preservation of unique
culture, natural environment and pursue sustainable
development in the international fora.
- Clamp Down: The government
started hunting down the demonstrators. The security forces opened fire on
the demonstrators. State terrorism like rape, loot, plunder, arrest without
warrant and prolonged detention without trial, was a strategic move by the
government to quell the voice of the people. Today southern Bhutan is under
army rule with huge force of army stationed at various points.
- Closure of Schools and Other
Facilities: After the demonstration by SUB, the government became more
hostile, towards the Students. Schools in Southern Bhutan were immediately
closed down and were converted into army barracks and temporary prisons,
directly affecting the career of over 40,000 students. This was followed by
withdrawal of public facilities like health
and essential commodities. To further ensure that, students are punished,
all southern Bhutanese students are asked to produce No
Objection Certificate (NOC) from authorities, certifying his/her or even
his/her relatives on involvement in the movement. The government even went
up to the extend of concealing scholarship of
there who were studying in India.
- Destroying of leadership: In
order to destroy the leadership and give death to the movement, Govt.
arrested village head, National Assembly members and prominent citizens of
both Nepali and Sarchop origin who would have taken effective leadership in
the movement. Virtually all village headman and assembly members of southern
Bhutan are either in prison or in exile.
- Eviction and Mass Exodus: When
the fully unleashed security forces went on the spree of mass torture,
arrest, loot, plunder and other forms of intimidation, the people succumbed
to the government's hostile regulations and terror tactics. Seeing no point
in desperately sticking to their homes under continuous threat and uncertainty
for life, people started fleeing the country leaving behind everything they
owned. The government also started systematically evicting people after
forcing them to sign "voluntary migration forms". This resulted in
the mass influx of people seeking refuge in Nepal.
Plight of Bhutanese Students:
Students are the hardest hit group and the
maximum sufferer and this struggle after the peaceful demonstration, the
government intensified its hunt for the student activists. All schools in
southern Bhutan were closed down, and served as prisons and barracks. Students
studying in the other areas were also denied education on grounds of his
relatives participating in the demonstration. Those who wish to look for jobs to
earn his/her living were also denied on same ground.
With the unleashing of terror and violence
by the repressive Thimphu regime, the number of Bhutanese evicted or fleeing the
country increased, today there are over 85,000 Bhutanese sheltered in the UNHCR
monitored eight camps in Nepal.
Because of the tremendous influx of
students, SUB had to re-orient its activities and take initiatives to open
school in various camps before any agency turned up for help. Today these
students are benefiting from the Refugee Education
Programme financed by CARITAS Nepal and UNHCR. However, there are thousands who,
for some reasons cannot dream continuing their studies in order to make their
life a meaningful one.
Conclusion:
Ten years have passed since the problem in
Bhutan first began. The government however, failed or has shown little interest
to resolve the problem. Instead, the government has been trying to malign those
who are struggling for human rights in Bhutan with baseless charges. The
government is using all the machinery at its disposal to misinform the world
about the genuine cause for dissent, and making every effort to quell the voice
for justice.
Government has already planned to open army
wings and training centres in the South at Pinjuli, Ghumauney, Sarbang
etc. with the help of Indian Government. The Thimphu regime's
determination to suppress its citizens and continue with it repressive policies
has become clear with the non-inclusion of human rights issue anywhere during
Nepal-Bhutan talks, and not taking the Bhutanese dissidents group in confidence.
In Thimphu's context human rights activism is a punishable act. The agreement to
categorize people into ''Bhutanese who have
committed criminal acts' has complicated the issue of Bhutanese refugee
repatriation and pushed it into uncertainty.
This utter disregard for the origin for the
rights of its own citizens, including Conventions which Bhutan has committed to
respect is not only a crime but also challenge to all the justice loving people
of the world.
The SUB appeals to all justice loving
people, human rights groups and government to exercise their influence with the
RGOB and persuade it:
- to take the refugees back home in
dignity and honour;
- to release all human rights and
political prisoners unconditionally;
- to extend full support and solidarity in
our endeavor to usher human rights and
democracy in Bhutan.
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