Bhutan - Man arrested for selling fake rhino horn

The Thimphu police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Wangduephodrang on suspicion of selling fake rhino horns. The suspect and an accomplice were arrested while on their way to a potential customer’s house in Changjiji on January 14.

Police told BBS that they have been following the man after getting a tip off. The suspect confessed that they bought the fake rhino horn from Lucky Bazaar in India for Nu.750.

He also admitted selling a similar horn to a Lobesa resident in November last year for Nu. 400, 000.

The suspect will be sent to the court for deceiving and cheating. Meanwhile, the rhino horn has been sent to the Department of Forests for verification.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=3123

Bhutan - Petrol price to skyrocket

The price of petrol is expected to increase by more than Nu.2 per litre. The hike will come into effect from tomorrow according to the Department of Trade. This is the second hike in a month and the fourth within a year.

With the increase, a liter of petrol will cost Nu. 54. The last price hike on December 16 saw an increase of about Nu. 3.

The rise in petrol price is mainly because of the price hike in India.

However, the price of diesel, kerosene and LPG cooking gas will remain the same.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=3119

Bhutan - Thimphu hit by a dearth of drugs

The Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in the capital has been facing an acute shortage of drugs for quite some time now. The patients cannot get the required medicines. It is also difficult to get the prescribed medicines from the medical shops.

According to patients visiting the hospital, if the doctors prescribe four to five different medicines, only two or three are available from the dispensary counter. They have to buy the rest from the medical shops.

“We are asked to buy the medicines from the medical shops but we can’t find them in any of the medical shops,” said a frustrated patient.

Medical shop owners are required to register all the drugs they want to import with the Drug Regulatory Authority. According to pharmacists who run the medical shops, this is making it difficult for them to procure medicines.

P.S. Sada runs the City Pharmacy in the capital town. According to him “getting medicines registered with the authority is difficult. To do this, we have to submit a dossier produced by the company and each product will have a dossier consisting of no less than 200 pages.”

Ratna Samal, the proprietor of the Himalaya Medical Shop, said “previously we use to sell all the products but from March 2010, the Drug Regulatory Authority asked us to sell only the registered products.”

Sonam Dorji, a Drug Controller from the Drug Regulatory Authority, said medical shops have to register the drugs they want to sell with the authority so that they can ensure the quality of the medicines.

Meanwhile, the Media focal person of the Health Ministry Kado Zangpo said the shortage was caused mainly due to the changes in the procurement system.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=3042

Bhutan - Producers piqued by piracy

Thanks to modern gadgets and the internet, music lovers can download, copy, and share music easily but it is also promoting piracy. As a result, the sale of music CDs and cassettes has been decreasing rapidly causing a huge loss to the nascent music industry.

Jamtsho, an audio shop owner, blames piracy for the decreasing sale of music CDs.

“Earlier business was good but now with pen drives, mobile phones, and memory cards, the sale has plummeted. I can’t sell even 10 copies of audio cassettes and CDs,” he said.

“With DVD players, broadband, iPods, and mobile phones, it is not necessary to buy; you can download or share at no cost.”

According to singer, producer Nidup Dorji, Bhutanese musicians are struggling. As it is, the market is not lucrative.

“Our songs and movies are copied as soon as they are released. The government has to come up with plans and policies to stop this. We cannot fight this problem individually. We have to stop this together,” he said.

Piracy and digital downloading is not only happening locally. It is also happening across the border.

According to Sonam Dorji, another singer, producer, “All our songs are instantly copied and downloaded on pen drives and memory cards. We can find pirated versions of our cassettes and CDs all over Jaigaon, in India.

According to the Copyright Act, a person whose copyrights have been infringed upon can lodge a complaint with the police. The police can seize the pirated articles and store them to be produced as evidence in the court or even destroy them if necessary.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=3039

Bhutan - Preservation experts complete 3-year study

Bhutan’s Art Treasures 6 January, 2011 - Bhutan has paintings that are exquisite in quality and technically sophisticated, according to experts, who also said that the paintings that date back from the 16th to 19th centuries, were largely unknown and unrecorded in the west.

Specialists from the Courtauld Institute in London were given access to the rare paintings in an effort to preserve ancient wall paintings by the department of culture.

“The wall paintings are absolutely stunning. Some of the earlier examples, especially, are extraordinary,” Professor David Park, from the Courtauld, was quoted in The Observer, a leading daily newspaper in the UK.

The director, department of culture, Dorji Tshering, said that the three-year project, which ended in 2010, was initiated to preserve the ancient wall paintings. The experts studied what kind of material, coating and how many times they were repainted to preserve the art, according to Dorji Tshering.

The Observer reported that the experts were astonished by the unexpected rich, jewel-like quality of some of the paintings in such remote settings. One of the experts described their techniques in the west and spoke of being overawed by the miniaturist detail, achieved through a unique layering of colours and coatings.

The spectacular paintings seen by the British experts include paintings from dzongs, the most important of which includes the Tamshing monastery.

“Its wall paintings are among the earliest in Bhutan, and are intimately associated with one of the most revered figures in Bhutanese Buddhism, the saint Pema Lingpa. The paintings can be dated precisely to his time at Tamshing, between 1501 and 1506, and they include his portrait,” according to The Observer.

Another site the expert were given access was the rich selection of paintings in the Tango monastery, dedicated to Tenzin Rabgye, whose personal chamber was painted with rich pigments and gold by the finest artists.

“Although the paintings are largely sacred in subject and are restricted to religious worship, the Bhutanese have looked to the Courtauld’s expertise to ensure the paintings’ preservation for posterity,” the experts were quoted in the newspaper. “Some of the buildings in which they have survived have been damaged over the centuries by fires and floods. In a harsh natural environment, gradual deterioration takes its toll on the susceptible materials that constitute the paintings.”

The Courtauld study will lead to an understanding of how the art deteriorates and how it can be preserved. “An alarming number of Buddhist wall paintings in India and Tibet have been irreversibly damaged by well-meaning but disastrous cleaning,” One of the researchers, Rickerby, told The Observer. “Bhutan’s isolationist past protected its cultural heritage from such dangers, but the opening up of the country means that such risks cannot now be ignored.”

Until now, no one had a clear idea of how many paintings existed, let alone their condition, date or significance Rickerby said: “Their significance and quality deserve far wider recognition.”

The research was collaboration between the Courtauld and the Bhutan department of culture, through funding from an anonymous US benefactor. The last stage of fieldwork and scientific analysis has just ended.

The team will publish a report as a benchmark for future study and conservation. The department will also discuss extending the collaboration period.

Compiled by Chimi Om

http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=17976

Bhutan : Of 16th century provenance

Drapham Dzong 2 January, 2011 - Drapham dzong in the Chokor-toe valley in Bumthang could belong to the second half of the 16th century with its upper castle built between 1550-1700, according to radiocarbon data of the country’s first archaeology excavations on the ruins of the dzong.

The dzong was built by the then ruler Chokhor-Deb, a contemporary of Pema Lingpa. The ruins sit at a strategic location in the centre of the Chokor-toe valley and has monitored the trade routes between Bhutan and Tibet, according to the report of the three-year excavation that ended last month.

The excavated dzong site has an approximate area coverage of about 200m by 60m in width, making it as large as the Wangdue or Trongsa dzong structures. The defense functions of the dzong are comprehensible, which is indicated by the use of bows and arrows and light-calibre firearms, according to the findings. The two baileys and the fortified valley settlement indicate the dzong to be a vast and impressive fortress, which might have needed a garrison of 2,000 men, in case of a war.

The team also unearthed skeleton parts like skull and jaw fragments of sheep, pigs and cattle. “The animal bones certify that domestic animals were slaughtered within,” states the report.

Samples of iron arrowheads and non-ferrous metal bangle were also dug out by the excavators. Considerable ceramic fragments were also found, indicating trade relations with China. However, since they were in small number, ceramics could have been a luxury, confined to the wealthy, said Nagtsho Dorji, head of division of conservation of heritage sites (DCHS) of the department of culture.

Wood remains, rocks, sediments and wall materials were also collected as samples for analyses. The excavation site near Nag Lhakhgang, approximately 400m north-east of the dzong show clear traces of past iron mining.

“An iron slag, which was discovered in 2009, proves that the ruins could have been the organisational and stately centre of a mining establishment that might have provided the economic foundation for the fortress in the barren high valley,” states the report.

The base of the fort has a cellar, which resembles a horse shed indicatng that sheds must have been used by the traders, as a halting ground to feed their horses and pay taxes, said Nagtsho Dorji. “It is clear that the collapse of the upper fort is due to fire, but we must determine what caused the fire,” said Nagtsho Dorji. The collapse of the entire dzong is yet to be determined and is being annalysed.

The three-year project, which began in 2008, was supported by Helvetas, the Zurich-based Swiss-Liechtenstien foundation for archaeological research abroad (SLSA) and the royal government of Bhutan.

Dr Werner Meyer, a fort archaeologist from the university of Basel, led the excavation, which was carried out together with the department of culture. Local villagers were also recruited to work at the project.

The project received an annual budget of 60,000 Swiss francs from two international donors and another one million from the government.

“Bhutan has very little recorded history and this research resource help us revalidate and provide historic evidences for the oral traditions,” said Nagtsho Dorji, adding that since it was a huge site, only the top part was excavated. All the collections and findings were sent to Switzerland for further analyses.

The scientific analyses on the ruins of the Darpham dzong will be published at the end of 2013. “In-depth analyses are being done in Switzerland, such as scraping the ceramics to determine the basic food crops back then,” she said.

The on-site excavations, which began in 2008, was done only during the dry months of October and December every year. The ruin was chosen because of its unique features and it was the largest structure that predates Zhabdrung.

Nagtsho Dorji said the end of the three year project does not mean it is the end of the excavations. “It’s just the end of a certain phase of the excavations.”

By Sonam Lhamo

http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=17936

Bhutan - The top 10 schools are…

The Education Ministry has released a ranking of ten high performing schools for classes VI, X and XII.

The top 10 primary schools are Yaragla Community Primary school in Monggar, Dagor Community Primary School in Pemagtashel, Nobgang Community Primary School and Khuruthang Middle Secondary School in Punakha, Sunshine, Early Learning Centre, Phuensum Primary and Druk Schools in Thimphu, Nimshong Community Primary School in Trongsa, and Namchala Lower Secondary School in Dagana.

In the middle secondary standard, Kanglung Middle Secondary School, Trashigang Middle Secondary School, Rangjung and Jigme Sherubling Higher Secondary Schools (HSS) in Trashigang and Ugyen Academy in Punakha, Monggar HSS, Bayling HSS in Trashiyangtse, Yangchenphu in Thimphu, Nangkor HSS in Pemagatshel and Khangkhu MSS in Paro have been identified as the top 10 schools.

And in the Higher Secondary Schools category, the top 10 schools are Tashitse HSS in Trashigang, Yangchenphu and Motithang HSS in Thimphu , Drugyal HSS in Paro, Bayling HSS in Tashiyangtse, Bajo HSS in Wangdue, Phuentsholing HSS, Nangkor HSS in Pemagatshel, Monggar HSS and Gelephu HSS.

The Education Minister Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel said the school ranking was adopted by the education ministry to see where different seats of learning stand.

The ranking was based on the academic scorecard with data compiled from 2009 examination results. From next year, the ranking will be based on three scorecards -the academic scorecard, practices scorecard and the GNH scorecard.

The ranking is expected to create healthy competition among schools.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2854

Bhutan - His Majesty grants audience to the Crown Prince of Norway

His Majesty the King granted an audience to the Crown Prince of Norway, His Royal Highness Prince Haakon Magnus at the Lingkana Palace, today.

His Royal Highness is accompanied by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the royal children. They are in Bhutan on a 10-day private visit.

His Majesty the King also hosted a luncheon at the Lingkana Palace.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2844

Bhutan - Bus accident victims cremated

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Under the command and support of His Majesty the King, the Zhung Dratshang conducted the cremation for those who lost their life in the bus accident yesterday.

The cremation was presided over by the Yangbi Lopen from the central monastic body. A release from the Zhung Dratshnag says that, His Holiness the Je Khenpo gave Semso to all bereaved families and commanded all Dratshangs in 20 Dzongkhags to perform Moenlam and offer Karmi Tongchoed.

His Holiness will also perform Mithrup Tongchoed at Punakha Dzong.

Following the accident, the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley visited the hospital and met all the injured passengers yesterday. The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by the cabinet ministers, also inspected the bodies of the accident victims and met the bereaved family members.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2799

Bhutan : National Day celebrations

Thousands of people packed the Changlimithang stadium today to celebrate the National Day. It was on this day in 1907 that the people of Bhutan unanimously elected Trongsa Penlop Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck as the first hereditary monarch of Bhutan ushering in an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. The celebration in Changlimithang was graced by His Majesty the King.

In his royal address on the National Day, His Majesty the King began by expressing his condolence for the families of the victims of the air crash in Nepal. His Majesty said he has been deeply saddened by the loss and asked the bereaved family members to remain strong.

His Majesty then spoke about the achievements over the last four years, the socio-economic development of the country, and the 10^th Five Year Plan. His Majesty thanked His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, on behalf of the Bhutanese people, for the peace, happiness and prosperity we enjoy today.

The main emphasis of the royal address however was on the responsibilities we all shoulder in further strengthening our nation.

His Majesty said “there is a higher responsibility…” apart from our responsibilities based on our professions whether they be in the civil service, business or even as parents and teachers.

His Majesty stressed the importance of “upholding values such as integrity, justice and compassion and above all living by that unwritten but absolute code of right over wrong, no matter what it is we are trying to achieve as individuals or as a nation.”

His Majesty said “while the objectives are important, the manner in which we achieve these objectives is a far more important indicator of our strength as a nation. We must achieve everything as a united harmonious family. I truly believe that it would be a great service to the nation if, as individuals, we always treat each other with respect and dignity.”

His Majesty said “a family in which there is deep discord between parent and child or brother and sister is unlikely to achieve anything that leads to lasting happiness. As a nation, it is no different.”

His Majesty reminded the gathering of the promise he made in his coronation address in 2008 that, “throughout my reign I will never rule you as a King. I will protect you as a parent, care for you as a brother and serve you as a son. I shall give you everything and keep nothing; I shall live such a life as a good human being that you may find it worthy to serve as an example for your children; I have no personal goals other than to fulfill your hopes and aspirations. I shall always serve you, day and night, in the spirit of kindness, justice and equality.’

His Majesty said he has “always taken every decision and carried out every action with this promise in mind.”

As artisans and common people performed folk dance and sang to entertain the crowd, His Majesty mingled with the crowd, walking through the stadium, stopping every now and then to talk to people, enquiring about their life, picking up children or holding the hands of the elderly.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2667

Bhutan - 18 Bhutanese pilgrims perish in Nepal plane crash tragedy

In one of the biggest tragedies, 18 Bhutanese pilgrims have perished in a plane crash in Nepal yesterday. They were returning to Kathmandu from Daphu Martika on-board Tara Air, a domestic airline.

The twin otter plane went missing shortly after take-off from the Lamidanda airport, 162 kilometres east of Kathmandu. It was scheduled to land in Kathmandu at 5pm yesterday. Rescue operations were launched immediately but had to be stopped due to bad weather and darkness.

The crash site was located at 6.30 this morning. There were no survivors. The plane was carrying 19 passengers, 18 were Bhutanese pilgrims. All the 18 bodies have been recovered and have been brought to Kathmandu. They will be brought to Paro at the earliest and possibly by Saturday morning.

On royal command, the Prime Minister, the home minister, government officials, and the office of the Gyalpoi Zimpoen are monitoring the situation. A disaster relief and information centre has also been established at the office of the Gyalpoi Zimpoen’s office.

The Prime Minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley is in constant touch with the Prime Minister of Nepal to ensure that all necessary and possible arrangements are being made to bring the bodies to Thimphu.

A team of nine members led by the Cabinet Secretary and two Zimpoen Wogmas left for Kathmandu today. A special flight to Nepal is also being arranged for the relatives.

The government of Nepal has also expressed condolence to His Majesty the King and assured that a thorough investigation will be carried out.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2623

Bhutan - Kuwait Football Association to provide US$ 100,000 every year to BFF

The Kuwait Football Association will provide technical assistance and US$ 100,000 to the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) every year for promotion and development of the game in Bhutan.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by the President of the Olympic Council of Asia on behalf of the President of the Kuwait Football Association and the President of the Bhutan Football Federation Ugen Tshechup Dorji in the presence of His Majesty’s representative and the President of the Bhutan Olympic Committee Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck.

The MoU was signed in Kuwait. His Royal Highness is in Kuwait on the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait and President of the Olympic Council of Asia.

His Royal Highness left the country on Monday. On Tuesday, His Royal Highness met with the Deputy Prime Minister at Bayan Palace, in Kuwait.

His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck will also attend the Asian Beach Games 2010 in Muscat the capital city of Oman starting yesterday. Bhutan is represented by two weightlifters at the Asian Beach Games 2010.

His Royal Highness will return to Bhutan on Friday.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2466

Bhutan - Reconstruction of Chamkhar progressing well

His Majesty’s Representative for People’s Welfare in Bumthang, Her Royal Highness Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck visited Chamkhar town where a major reconstruction work is underway.

Almost half of Chamkhar town was razed to the ground in a devastating fire in the small hours of October 26.

During the visit yesterday morning, Her Royal Highness expressed satisfaction with the progress of the reconstruction work. Some 300 Royal Bhutan Army personnel and volunteers are assisting the business people of Chamkhar town rebuild their homes.

Unlike in the past, the houses will not be constructed close to each other. To reduce the risk of fire, the houses are also being built mostly with mud bricks. A new vegetable market and meat shops will be built separately.

Construction materials including sand, mud bricks, CGI sheets and timber are being provided free of cost.

Tag : bhutan,bhutan travel,druk air,bhutan trekking

Bhutan - Black necked cranes sighted in Gelephu

A family of four black necked cranes has apparently decided to spend this winter season in Chuzergang in Gelephu. Residents who sighted the four spectacular birds prancing about merrily in the paddy fields are overjoyed.

Rinchen Lhato, a resident, said “the birds have been here for a week or so now.”

They are hopeful that this is not a stray incident and that the birds, which are seen as good omen, have decided to make Chuzergang their home.

This is the first time that the endangered birds were sighted roosting in Chuzergang in Gelephu or anywhere in southern Bhutan. Their main roosting areas in Bhutan are Phobjikha in Wangdue and Bumdeling in Trashiyangtse.

“I have asked many people here and nobody has seen them before in this region. When we talked to an expert we found that the cranes may have lost their way to their actual habitat,” said Sonam Wangdi, a forest ranger.

The cranes were first spotted in Chuzergang on November 14.

Officials from the Royal Society for Protection of Nature also visited the areas. According to them it is not unusual to see the cranes in lower altitudes.

Tag : bhutan,bhutan travel,bhutan king,druk air

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2351

Bhutan - Citrus Greening devastates orange orchards

Orange growers in Phuentsholing are bracing themselves for bad news. It has not been confirmed but their orange trees may have been infected by a disease known as citrus greening.

Citrus greening is a bacterial disease and it is causing extensive damage to orange trees across the country.

There seems to be only one solution- uproot all the trees in the orchard and burn them.

According to Gyem Tshering, an Agriculture Extension Officer in Phuenstholing Geog, “there is no cure for citrus greening disease. Uprooting and destroying the trees is the only way to eradicate citrus greening.”

And it is not only the infected trees which will have to be uprooted and burnt. “Even if a single tree is infected, all the other trees in the orchard will also have to be burnt,” says Gyem Tshering.

This is going to be a painful decision for the orange growers. Orange is an important cash crop and for many families, it is their only source of income.

In Chhukha, one of the main orange growing districts, the disease has already been detected in some areas like Baikuenza. The trees have been uprooted and burnt. The exercise is already underway in Dorjansey under Darla Geog. It will soon move to Phuentsholing Geog, if the trees are found to have been infected.

Farmers in Phuenstholing Geog are hoping against hope that it will not come to this. But the indications are that it most probably will.

Ran Maya, a farmer in Ramitey in Phuentsholing, says “the yield has been dropping year after year. The trees are shedding their leaves for no rhyme or reason. Only about four years ago, the harvest was bountiful.”

Ran Maya and her family are busy. It is harvest season, usually a happy occasion. This time, their mood has already been dampened by what is happening in nearby areas.

Ran Maya’s orchard is huge by Bhutanese standards, measuring about three acres with more than 250 fruit bearing trees.

The leaves from the infected trees will be sent to the National Plant Protection Centre in Simtokha, Thimphu. And if they show that the trees have been infected, Ran Maya and her neighbours will lose their orchards. For now all they can do is pray.

http://www.bbs.com.bt/bbs/?p=2344