Corruption Perception Index

Bhutan continues to top among the SAARC member nations as being perceived the least corrupt, going by 2012 corruption perception index that was posted on the Transparency International website yesterday.

Maldives, however was the only SAARC member state not included in the index.

Among some 40 nations within the Asia-Pacific region, it stood fifth. New Zealand was top in the region and among the 176 nations that were included in the index.

Among the 176 nations across the world that were measured for perceived corruption in public sector, Bhutan ranked 33rd, an indication, Anti-Corruption Commission officials said was something to be reckoned with.

It jumped five positions from 38th in 2011.

In terms of score, the country secured 63 points out of 100, where on the scale from 0-100, 0 meant that a country was perceived as being highly corrupt and 100 was perceived very clean.

One of ACC commissioners and spokesperson Kesang Jamtsho said the country scoring 63 points was significant, in that, for probably the first time it touched that score.

“But we can’t afford to be complacent,” he said, adding if that score dipped below five points, it would prove to be a mammoth task to pick up again. “The fight against corruption must sustain.”

The country shares its 33rd position with two other nations of Portugal and Puerto Rico.

It ranked 38th in 2011 out of 183 nations world wide, a drop by two positions of 36th in 2010 among 178 countries in 2010, although the scores for both years remained same at 5.7 out of 10 on a scale from 0-10.

The country, however, continued to remain cleanest in terms of perceived corruption among the SAARC nations in both years.

The drop in ranking last year with the score remaining the same as 2010, ACC officials had said was because of three new entrants in the list of nations to be measured for perceived corruption.

Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were the three new entries into the index last year.

Returning to the region and the SAARC member states within that, Sri Lanka secured the second position or 79th among 176 nations in the index, India came third (94th out of 176) and Nepal fourth (139 out of 176).

Out of 100, Sri Lanka scored 40 points, India, 36 and Nepal 27.

As in the previous years, Afghanistan continues to be perceived the most corrupt in terms of public sector corruption among the SAARC member states and in the world at 174th position out of 176 nations measured.

It scored eight points on the scale of 0-100.

North Korea and Somalia share its position and score.

Corruption perception index report explained that it was merely an indicator of perceptions of administrative and political corruption and not a verdict on the levels of corruption of entire nations or societies, or of their policies or activities of their private sector.

“Citizens of countries that score at the lower end of the index often show the same concern about and condemnation of corruption as the public in countries that perform strongly,” the report said.

To construct the index this year, 13 data sources were used like reports from Freedom House, World Bank and Transparency Bribe Payers Survey among others.

Transparency International, founded in 1993, which is a global civil society organisation, leads the way towards fighting corruption.

Last year when the country had maintained its 2010 score of 5.7 points out of 10 irrespective of the fall in position by two steps, ACC chairperson Dasho Neten Zangmo deemed the score unsatisfactory.

“Above six may be good,” she had said.

While that target might have been achieved, the country has yet to fulfill its bigger aspiration of making it among the top-ten list of nations in the index.

“My target is to make it there after five years,” she had said last year.

Pallas cat: Bhutan Wangchuck Centennial Park

Camera traps, set up to survey the snow leopard population in Wangchuck centennial park in Bumthang, has captured and confirmed the presence of another cat in the country, the Pallas cat.

“Several pictures show the Pallas cat at a place called Boera in January and April, and at Marganphu area in February and April this year,” World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials said.

Marganphu is a three-day walk from the nearest road point at Nasiphel in Choekhor gewog, Bumthang; and Boera is a four-day walk.  Both places have no human settlement, and the only visitors are yak-herders and cordycep collectors.

With an uncanny resemblance to the comic strip character, Garfield, the Pallas cat is about the size of a domestic cat, 18-26inches long, and weighs between 3-5kg.

The combination of its stocky posture and long, dense fur makes it appear stout and plushy.  Its fur is ochre, with dark vertical bars on the torso and forelegs, and its winter coat is greyer and less patterned than the summer one.  The legs are proportionately shorter than those of other cats, and ears are set very low and wide apart.  With unusually short claws, its face is shortened, compared with other cats, giving it a flattened look.

Pallas cats are not fast runners, and hunt primarily by ambush or stalking, using low vegetation and rocky terrain for cover.  They feed largely on diurnally active prey species, such as gerbils, pikas and partridges, and sometimes catch young marmots.

The habitat of the cat, WWF officials said, is characterised by rolling hills, dominated by glacial outwash and alpine steppe vegetation.  Pallas cats were spotted on same locations, where other predators, such as snow leopard, Tibetan wolf and red fox, are found.

Wildlife conservation officials say that the Pallas cat is negatively impacted by habitat degradation, prey base decline and hunting, and has therefore been classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2002.  Hunters, lured by its fur, fat and organs for medicinal value, threaten its survival.

WWF conservation director Vijay Moktan told Kuensel that, although foresters mentioned the presence of Pallas cat in the past, with possibilities of finding the cat at an altitudinal range of 2,800m to 4,000m, until now there had been no pictorial evidence as such. “Before we carry out anything, we first need to discuss it with the government,” he said.

The WWF head office in United States was informed about the finding.  The finding could probably be the first report on the occurrence of Pallas cat in the eastern Himalayas, according to WWF-US conservation scientist, Rinjan Shrestha, who has been closely working on the snow leopard survey.

A joint project between WWF and department of forests and park services (DoFPS), camera traps were placed at the end of November last year for the snow leopard survey.

Source: Kuenselonline

New City Bus for Thmphu City

To address the ever increasing traffic congestion and provide efficient and timely transport services to the people, Bhutan Post Corporation (BPC) launched 15 new city buses for Thimphu Thromde today.

“The buses will be of immense help especially during the Pedestrian day,” said the Managing Director of Bhutan Post, Tseten Geltsen.

Bhutan Post Corporation said the buses are made in China and have good facilities like comfortable seats.

The Managing Director said unless they have attractive public transport, people will keep refraining from traveling in public transport. “It has to be efficient, it has to be safe and more than anything else it has to be reliable,” said Tseten Geltsen.

To further improve efficiency, BPC has plans to introduce prepaid card system . A total of 34 buses including the 15 new buses will provide transport services in and around Thimphu Thromde.

Procurement rules followed

Earlier, when the tendering was done for the procurement of the buses, some of the bidders had alleged that the Bhutan Postal Corporation did not follow the procurement rules.

BPC refuted the allegation and said the tendering was done according to the procurement rules.

The Managing Director said BPC followed all the norms mentioned in the procurement manual. “I was quite shocked to find out that they were trying to link this procurement with the present political, the ruling party. For us, what we do is an open tender.” He said the tender for the procurement of the buses was awarded to those vehicle dealers who have valid trade licenses and are authorized to import and sell vehicles

Bhutan Postal Corporation began to operate and manage city buses since 2002.

Source: BBS

culture and tourism could help in connecting the countries in the South Asia region

Despite being challenged by political and geographical borders, culture and tourism could help in connecting the countries in the South Asia region, think tanks from the region said yesterday.

Institute of security and international studies’ director Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak said cultural similarities and histories link most South and Southeast Asian countries.

“We have to look at the mainland like Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore where the linguistic heritage is shared and also through religion commonalities like Buddhism and Hinduism,” he said. “People’s attitude and livelihood like eating rice and curry and our values are common.”

Druk Air, for instance, brought many Bhutanese to Bangkok in Thailand, for purposes ranging from business to education, he said.

Research officer with the Centre for Bhutan Studies, Sangay Thinley said cultural linkage within the South Asian countries happened through tourism, which prevailed mostly in urban areas, while the real culture remained in rural areas.

“A South Asian tourism portal should be developed so that whenever anyone wishes to travel to another country, it should be just a distance of one to two cliffs away,” he said. “Mapping cultural activities in different countries are also important.”

Participants also discussed about media playing a major role in connecting countries through their regional and international news, which today is the social networking sites, especially for the youth. New media has also brought significant changes in connecting millions around the world, they said.

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies’ director, D Suba Chandran said that as the region develops with better transport infrastructure and energy corridors including electricity and gas, it would be in the interest of every country to get connected with these corridors.

“Today, Bhutan’s physical connectivity is primarily through air with the rest of world and if Bhutan is connected to Southeast Asia and Central Asia, it would be beneficial for Bhutan to make use of this network,” he said.

Recommendations of the conference will be presented in the next SAARC Summit.

Source: Kuenselonline

A snow leopard in the Jigme Dorji National Park

A snow leopard climbed down from the hill to where a small herd of takin was grazing in the ground below. The grey and white furred cat aimed for a calf circling the herd, but within minutes the adult takins huddled together and, to the surprise of a group of conservationists watching, the cat slowly slithered away.

Among them was Tshewang R Wangchuk, who was recently nominated as the National Geographic explorer of the week on September 5 to highlight several years of work on snow leopards in the Bhutanese mountains.

“Learning about this cat allows me to visit the places I like,” Tshewang said, adding that it was an honour. “But it’s really the many colleagues in the field, including residents from our mountain communities, that I have come to know over the years that deserve this honour for their dedication, knowledge, experience and generosity.”

The dedicated Bhutanese team braved chilly camping accommodations in the park (Pic courtesy: newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)

The executive director of Bhutan Foundation has traversed Bhutan’s mountains from Nub Tshona Patta in Haa to Shingphel and Mela in Trashiyangtse. “Globally, Bhutan offers hope for the snow leopards that are safest in Bhutan than anywhere else across its range,” he said.

On human-wildlife conflict, Tshewang said that a cycle of conflict is complete when predators kill livestock; herders become infuriated, and kill the predator. This, he added, is not the case in Bhutan. “Our herders have a very high level of tolerance and they don’t stone the snow leopard to death as they do in other countries,” said Tshewang. “Bhutan is different and livestock predation is not something new.”

People have lived with wildlife for ages and herders often say that, when their choesung are displeased, they lose a few animals.

“I feel for their loss, but we need innovative mechanisms to reward their tolerance, not small handouts. They’re intelligent people, they have the solutions. We just have to do a better job of listening to them,” Tshewang said, adding that herders’ attitudes are changing, and government needs to act now.

“For Bhutan, we don’t have a choice and we need to give conservation a high priority, because we’ve inherited an invaluable natural heritage, and therefore have a huge responsibility to pass it on to the next generation,” he said. “We have almost a third of the 37 wild cat species in the world. Wildlife, as integral parts of our natural systems, already benefits Bhutan.”

Source: Kuenselonline

Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen visited Khasadrapchu Middle Secondary School

To raise awareness on the importance of ozone layer protection, Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen visited Khasadrapchu Middle Secondary School in Thimphu this morning as the Ozone Ambassador. Khasadrapchu is the first school to host Her Majesty.

The visit was made in her capacity as the Ozone Ambassador to raise awareness on the importance of ozone layer protection.

A quiz competition on environmental issues was held as part of the advocacy campaign. Her Majesty awarded prizes to the winners.

Her Majesty also distributed books presented by the National Environment Commission for the school library. An animated film on ozone was also screened.

Her majesty also informally interacted with the students of the school. A video documentary on the ozone layer was also screened.

Her Majesty will also visit few other schools in the capital. Her Majesty’s advocacy campaign is part of the Ozone Day celebrations, which will be observed on 14th of this month in the country.

Her Majesty was presented with the United Nations Environment Protection Ambassadorship for Ozone at the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol held in Thimphu in May this year.

The Montreal Protocol is one of the most effective international treaties, designed to protect ozone layer.

Bhutan ratified the Montreal Protocol during the 82nd Session of National Assembly in 2004 and is one of the few countries under the protocol to achieve significantly in committing the phasing out of substances that deplete ozone layer.

In the current phase, Bhutan has committed to phase out Hydrochloroflurocarbons or HCFCs in 2025, ten years ahead of the Montreal Protocol schedule.

Source: BBS

ACC: Gyalpoizhing land allotment investigation

In a follow up to the investigation report by the Anti-Corruption Commission on Gyalpoizhing land allotment, ACC has released the names of individuals and institutions notifying them that the land they own in Gyalpoizhing shall be frozen against any transaction with immediate effect.

Royal Wedding in Thimphu: "The Royal Kiss"

The highlight of the day was rolling for television crew, who were in position at the centre of Changlimithang ground with their cameras.

While it was totally unexpected, as it was unscheduled that His Majesty would deliver an address to the nation, what followed amidst spiced up the day of celebration.

Following a brief ritual for the King and the Queen, who stood on a platform, facing an adoring crowd of the capital city that filled just about every inch of the Changlimithang stadium seats, His Majesty took a microphone, coughed into his pouch before he spoke, and addressed the nation watching live the event with rapt attention.

“To mark the occasion of my marriage with the bride, maybe I should kiss her,” the King said, smiling as he did, while the lithesome figure beside him, Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, with her head slightly bowed, blushed and was shrinking.

As he kissed the queen on her right cheek, waves of applause echoed around the stadium, lavish clicks from digital SLRs went off and television cameras stayed steadily focused on the couple.

“Now, on the lips,” His Majesty said, with a short laugh that rippled into the faces of the crowd replete with bright silky dresses of all conceivable colours, who, as the King did act it out, roared with joy and pride.

The flags inscribed with the wedding logo planted on the walls that ran along Changlam fluttered just as vigorously, and giant balloons of various shades tethered to the poles with a congratulatory message from each of the 20 dzongkhags, swayed and bounced.

Following such an engaging gesture, His Majesty grew pensive just as soon.

Before continuing his address, the King and Queen lowered their scarves in front of the fourth Druk Gyalpo, and His Majesty expressed his gratitude, on behalf of Bhutanese across the nation, for the unprecedented peace, happiness and prosperity the nation was blessed with today.

“This morning, on behalf of the people of Bhutan, I thank His Majesty for dedicating his life to the people and the nation,” His Majesty said.

His Majesty also expressed his gratitude to the Royal Grandmother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck, for her dedicated service to the third king, and her continuous prayers for the country’s welfare.

Calling out their names, His Majesty said the queen mothers had served his father, the fourth Druk Gyalpo, with love and affection all these years.

As has been customary with His Majesty in many of his addresses, yesterday too, the King made it a point to remind the youth of their responsibilities of taking the nation forward into the future, far more peaceful, happy and prosperous.

“I have always said that the future of our country is in your hands,” he said, adding that he married Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, so they could together build a happier and stronger nation.

“The only desire the royal couple has is our pledge to serve our people and, together, as a family, we’ll bring up children, who are better educated and more prosperous than us,” His Majesty said.

His Majesty also thanked the national executive committee, led by the prime minister, and all other people, who took great efforts to celebrate the royal wedding.

Indian ambassador Pavan K Varma said it was a fairy tale come true and a beautifully prepared wedding.

“The ceremonies revived again the tradition and culture and the young king and queen provided a window to the future of Bhutan.” he said. “The whole thing was absolutely mesmerising.”

All these momentous events were unfolding at a place, the Chamglimithang ground, which witnessed numerous epochal moments in Bhutan’s history, those that continue to shape the moments today, which subsequently will determine those of tomorrow.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan Royal Wedding Ceremony in Punakha

The Royal Wedding ceremony of His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck took place in the Puna Dewachen Phodrang in Punakha. Jetsun Pema was sanctified as the Queen of Kingdom of Bhutan by His Majesty the King.

The ceremony began at 4 am with the initiation of soong-chhoe prayers at the Marchen Lhakhang and Kuenra of the Punakha Dzong. His Majesty the King, escorted by the sacred retinue, arrived at the Dzong from the Royal Lingkha and lit a golden lamp and offered prayers before the Thongdroel of Zhabdrung in the first courtyard of the Dzong.

The Royal Bride was led in chhipdrel procession into the Dzong, where she lit a golden lamp before the Thongdroel, and exchanged Tashi Jel-Dhar with His Majesty the King.

The Raven Crown and the crown for the Queen of Bhutan were brought out from the Most Holy Macchen Lhakhang, along with a Golden Bumpa and the sacred five coloured dhar.

The Fourth Druk Gyalpo bestowed the sacred dhar upon the Royal Bride, sanctifying the Royal Wedding.

In the Kuenrey, The Royal Bride offered the ambrosia of eternal life, signifying her devotion to the glorious continuity of the Wangchuck Dynasty, from the Golden Bumpa, to His Majesty the King.

His Majesty then bestowed the crown of the Druk Gyal-tsuen to the Royal Bride, and Ashi Jetsun Pema, now as Druk Gyaltshuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, ascended to the throne of the Queen of Bhutan, to the left of His Majesty the King.

The ceremony at the Kunrey ended with the offering of Tashi Nga Soel, symbolic offerings to their Majesties the Queen and King of Bhutan. His Holiness the Je Khenpo, The Fourth Druk Gyalpo, and members of the Royal Family and guests offered tashi khadar to the royal couple.

Their Majesties the King and Queen then joined the people of Punakha and guests in a public celebration outside the dzong.

His Majesty granted tokha to the people gathered at the celebration ground.

Source: BBS

Bhutan Royal Weeing 3 Days to Go!

It was a day off for the world yesterday, except for Punakha that was abuzz with an unusually large throng of Bhutanese from other parts of the country and tourists.

With just three days to go, the venue for the royal wedding, which covers some 100 acres, is abuzz with activities.

While locals were there to spruce up the venue for the year’s most anticipated event, a few Bhutanese from other parts of the country, and tourists were there to partake in and witness the country’s historic moment.

Potholes were patched, new gates erected, lawns mowed and trees watered. Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan from 1637 until 1907, and the first National Assembly was held here.

Among busloads of tourists were also students from some 19 schools, who had gathered at the dzong for their final cultural program rehearsals.

At the foot of the dzong, some 24 tents are already standing, stacked with cushions and chairs.

Each tent will accommodate around 40 people.

“We’re almost done with the preparations, except for some touch ups and making the gates,” Punakha dzongda Kuenzang N Tshering said. “Work on all physical structures has been completed.”

He is among some 100 people, who for the last five months have been involved in the royal wedding preparations.

“Excluding the invitees, some 10,000 Punaps are expected to attend the wedding,” he said.

Some 100 representatives from across the country will also be in Punakha to prepare the wedding feast, bringing with them their local staples.

“Each dzongkhag will prepare its own specialty,” economic affairs secretary Dasho Sonam Tshering, whose ministry is looking after the catering, said. “We’ve listed about 54 traditional items for about 1,500 people,” he said. “No imported wine or food will be served.”

Instead, besides water, drinks would comprise singchang, ara and bangchang.

The host dzongkhag will be serving ema datsi, two kinds of rice and Talo ezay (chili pickle).

Four pavilions have been built from where five dzongkhags will serve their fares.

People from some 13 dzongkhags have already arrived to prepare the feast.

Karala, 57, from Trongsa, said he and his friends would prepare ema datsi using their own flavours.

At such times, what the dzongkhag is short of is hotel rooms for guests and locals from other parts of the country to stay in.

“All guests are expected to arrange their own accommodation, because we don’t have enough hotels in Punakha,” the dzongda said.

This being a tourist season, all rooms were booked five to six months ago.

“There were just no hotel rooms when we started booking two months ago,” he said.

People from nearby dzongkhags, especially Thimphu, he said, would start early in the morning to attend the wedding, which begins at 8.30am.

Tourism Council of Bhutan website has listed four hotels in Punakha with 84 rooms.

One of the hotels, Damchen resorts said all 33 rooms are running full this whole month.

“Hotels in Wangduephodrang also have no rooms,” the dzongda said.

Arrangements have been made for those, who have to arrive early in Punakha for the wedding.

“Accommodations have been made in our offices, classrooms and halls,” he said.

Canopies and shades from bamboos and wooden benches have also been built for people.

In the last two weeks, a sawmill operator, Kinzang said he had sawn about a truckload of logs into planks for the benches.

Chairmen of the nine committees formed for the wedding, the cabinet ministers, along with the prime minister, were also in Punakha yesterday to see the preparations.

“The media committee, which will be taking care of the 150 foreign media personnel, were also here to familiarise with the area.”

With no place for cars to move around, the dzongda said he has lost almost 10kg from walking.

“My belt for the patang (sword) is big for me now,” he quipped.

Source: Kuenselonline

Thimphu Festival: Dance of the Lord of the Cremation Ground or Dhurdag chham

To the average spectator, the Dance of the Lord of the Cremation Ground or Dhurdag chham is a skeleton at work. But this dance, with the least number of participants, four dancers, is among the deities that protect the Buddha Dharma.

They are highly regarded in tantric practices, and are the guards of the eight cremation grounds, situated on the edges of the cosmic diagram or the mandala.

According to Kinzang Dorji, who teaches mask dances at the institute of language and culture studies in Semtokha, Dhurdag is the emanation of Pelden Lhamo, the main protective deity of Bhutan. “Pelden Lhamo manifests in the form of Dhurdag, when she serves as the lord of endowments in Tantarayana,” he said.

There are two different versions of the dhurdag dance, one performed by the monks, and the other by laymen, with some difference in steps. The dancers bring a box in a cloth that is made to look like human skin, which contains a small effigy of a human being. The cloth and the box will be left behind, when the dance is completed, to be damaged by the Tungam chham dancers that would follow. “This signifies subduing the evil that harms the tantric doctrine,” said Kinzang Dorji.

Dhurdag chham performed by monks, according to the Tsugla Lopen Samten Dorji says the dance is performed only by senior monks, who have mastered all other mask dances. “Durdag is complex, because it requires some measure of understanding of tantric symbolism.”

Spectators at tshechus, while witnessing the Dhurdag dance, should visualise the surrounding as the great cremation ground, the people as the assembly of buddhas, dakis, dakinis and the lords around the cosmic world, and dhurdag dancers as the real lord of cremation grounds, said the Tsugla lopon. “It’s only then that they’ll be bestowed the endowments.”

Source: Kuenselonline

His Majesty will visit the dzongkhags affected by earthquake

His Majesty will not be visiting Dungkar and will instead travel directly to Thimphu tomorrow from Gyalposhing.

His Majesty will immediately visit the dzongkhags affected by the earthquake, assess the damages and assist and comfort the people.

Enroute to Monggar today, His Majesty the King offered prayers for those affected by the recent earthquake in Trashigang Dzong.

Source: BBS

Earthquake hits Bhutan

Earthquake hits Bhutan, preliminary magnitude 6.1 on 18th September 2011

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009lvap.php

Magnitude	6.1
Date-Time	Monday, September 21, 2009 at 08:53:06 UTC Monday, September 21, 2009 at 02:53:06 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	27.346°N, 91.412°E
Depth	14 km (8.7 miles) set by location program
Region	BHUTAN
Distances	130 km (80 miles) NNW of Gauhati, Assam, India 180 km (110 miles) E of THIMPHU, Bhutan 610 km (380 miles) NNE of Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India 1410 km (870 miles) E of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 6.2 km (3.9 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters	NST=137, Nph=137, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=1.04 sec, Gp= 22°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=A
Source	USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	us2009lvap

Bhutan and Singapore will establish an air services agreement

Bhutan and Singapore will establish an air services agreement (ASA) next week, according to the department of civil aviation (DCA).

The agreement will allow national airline, Drukair and upcoming private airline, Tashi Air, the rights to fly to Singapore. A civil aviation team from Singapore will arrive in the country today to work out technical details of the ASA, prior to a final agreement on Wednesday. Drukair plans to operate to Singapore twice a week from March next year, according to the airline’s commercial manager, Tshering Penjor. But he said that this would also depend on when Drukair is able to acquire a third airbus jet. Drukair will also have the rights to operate to Singapore through Kolkata, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A representative for Tashi Air said that its international destinations will only be worked out once the airline’s domestic obligations are fulfilled. The private airline’s aircraft is expected to arrive in the first week of October.

DCA director general, Phala Dorji, pointed out that an added benefit to an ASA with Singapore would be obtaining training opportunities for Bhutanese aviation officials.

The aviation sector is a key component of the Singaporean economy, and its civil aviation authority is also major provider of training for international aviation management personnel. Bhutanese airlines will also be able to use Singapore for its high level of aircraft maintenance and repair services. “This will go a long way in terms of benefits,” said Phala Dorji. The director general also pointed out that Singapore had initiated the ASA.

Bhutan now has ASAs with seven countries: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and now, Singapore. Phala Dorji said that DCA is under instructions to establish as many ASAs as possible. He said that DCA is currently focused on establishing ASAs with all SAARC countries. Bhutan does not have ASAs with Pakistan and Afghanistan. He added that Qatar had recently expressed interest in establishing an ASA with Bhutan.

While ASAs can be established, it is up to airlines whether a route will be formed and operated. Drukair does not operate to the Maldives and has discontinued its Myanmar stopovers. Drukair is currently focused on expanding its services to and within India, where domestic passenger traffic is growing at a rapid pace. Passenger traffic between Paro and India increased 26 percent in 2010. The international air transport association (IATA) ranked India’s domestic passenger traffic growth second (14 percent) globally for the month of June. Drukair is considering establishing routes to the cities of Bangalore and Mumbai.

The national airline is also looking at establishing a Hong Kong, China route.

Source: Kuenselonline

Advised: His Majesty the King of Bhutan advise graduates

His Majesty the King advised the graduates who were attending the annual graduate’s orientation programme not be complacent.

Speaking at the closing ceremony yesterday, His Majesty said “there are so many graduates. I know that most of you will know the importance of working hard. So to the few of you, who might feel that being graduates, everything will happen for you, I must warn you. You will be left behind.”

His Majesty also spoke about the importance of preserving the age old traditions.

“Fundamental to the strength and beauty of our nation is our cultural heritage – our traditions and customs – the bond between children and their parents, teachers and elders. The trust and faith among friends, neighbours and the community,” His Majesty said.

“You must also know the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong, between compassion and self-interest.”

His Majesty said the Kingdom’s age old traditions will ensure that the graduates, as they pursue their individual goals and ambitions, will do so in harmony with others. It will ensure that individual successes will build a strong, united and harmonious nation.

His Majesty was accompanied by the Queen-to-be, Jetsun Pema.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan (BMF) royal wedding book of congratulations

The Bhutan Media Foundation has come up with a royal wedding book of congratulations which will be presented to the royal couple soon after the royal wedding.

The book will be a collection of art, poems, and simple heartfelt messages dedicated to the royal couple. More than 1,500 messages have been received so far. Every day, a few people are coming forward to pen their thoughts and express their good wishes.

On the day BBS visited the office of the Bhutan Media Foundation, 32-year-old Dhendup Tshering who works in a travel agency had come to submit a poem for the royal couple.

Tashi Pelyang Lhendup, a Dratshang Lhengtshog employee, had come to “express my appreciation to His Majesty for what he is doing for us and the country at large. I am not much of a talker so I wanted to express my regards in writing.”

For Dechen Choki, a house wife, the occasion is an “opportunity to express my gratitude for the royal wedding and wish the royal couple the very best.”

The Bhutan Media Foundation came up with the book to provide a platform for the people to express their gratitude and best wishes.

Lily Wangchuk, the Executive Director Bhutan Media Foundation, said “we have received very good response from the people and I think most people have still not heard about it.”

Only a limited edition of the book will be published. The original copies of the messages will also be presented to His Majesty the King and the Queen.

People can send their messages till Friday.

Bhutan DDC, launched nine national language books yesterday

The Dzongkha Development Commission (DDC), in its effort to promote the national langauge, launched nine books yesterday.

A guide to translations, a handbook of abbreviation, unicode tools for Dzongkha (a guide to installation and configuration), books on Dzongkha verbs, Dzongkha honorific, ballads and a book on the name of countries and their capitals are expected to tighten up Dzongkha grammar, literature and sentence of learners and readers, said officials at the launch.

A CD containing Dzongkha-English and English-Dzongkha-dictionaries will save users from referring to dictionaries, as they can do it a a click of a button. It has also resources for Dzongkha computing and publications as well.

DDC officials said that they felt publishing as many books as possible in Dzongkha would help promote Dzongkha literature. “We’ll try to produce materials and resources in Dzongkha, and make available to our readers,” said DDC’s secretary, Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen.

The newly released books were written and designed to suit the need of youth, who are fast losing interest in learning Dzongkha language and literature, said officials. They said the contents of the books widely talk about Bhutanese value and principles, but put it in a simple way so that readers could understand its meaning. “The books were deliberately kept thin to not deter readers. Many people don’t even open the book if it is thick,” said dasho Sherub Gyeltshen.

The books will be distributed to schools to use as reference.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan It may come as no surprise but, the higher your income

It may come as no surprise but, the higher your income, the happier you are, at least in Bhutan.

This glimpse into the findings of the 2010 GNH survey was provided during a presentation at the ‘happiness and economic development’ conference, yesterday.

Yet, while income may play a major role, up to a certain extent, several other significant factors were also found to positively impact an individual’s happiness. This was mentioned during an analytical presentation of survey data on ‘subjective well-being’ by the centre for Bhutan studies (CBS) president, Dasho Karma Ura.

“But GNH isn’t equivalent to subjective well being alone,” he said. It tries to combine both objective and subjective elements of happiness, while presenting the analysis from a subjective wellbeing point of view, he said. He added that some are economic factors, such as the amount of land owned, sufficiency in household equipment and the level of education possessed. Postgraduates reported higher happiness levels than university or college graduates.

Bhutanese, who are more inclined towards positive emotions, like calmness, empathy, compassion, and contentment, are happier than those, who experience more anger, frustration, and worry.

The GNH survey also found that meditation increases happiness, although only an extremely small percentage meditated daily. But spending two hours on average in prayer daily is a general practice.

Contrary to what single Bhutanese may claim, married Bhutanese are much happier, compared to their fellow citizens, who have never tied the knot. But those, who never married, can be happier than those who married and are divorced or widowed.

Other activities that increased happiness for Bhutanese is frequent socialising with relatives, trust in others, good physical and mental health, and in which dzongkhag you live. According to survey results, living in Dagana, Pemagatshel and even Thimphu can negatively affect happiness levels.

According to statistics presented, the U-curve, whereby the happiness level of individuals drops to the lowest point some time between 40 and 50 years of age was also confirmed. But the U-curve of subjective wellbeing is flatter, if the data is restricted to farmers, because their income is stable throughout their lifecycle, while that of salaried people is not, he pointed out.

The survey also found that the happiest people are those that have “less work and more leisure, and eight hours of sleep.” The findings of the 2nd GNH survey, carried out between April and December 2010 by CBS, will be released next month. About 8,000 Bhutanese were interviewed for the survey.

Japan and Brazil too shared their experiences with GNH surveys and activities conducted so far, revealing some universal factors that contribute to an individual’s happiness.

Professor Shigeru T Otsubo, Nagoya university, pointed out that a 2010 survey in Japan found that health, family, income, and spirituality made up the main elements for happiness. He said that the desired goals for Japanese society are securing safety, concern for others, and spiritual enlightenment. He added that Japan needs a more connected society and sound economic growth.

The survey also found that females and younger people in Japan are happier, despite social conditions that favour males and older generations.

Susan Andrews, who is involved with implementing GNH in Brazil, described how far the effort has progressed. She said that the objective of Brazilian GNH is to get communities involved in decision making, establishing social networks, conducting practices for physical and mental well-being, and encouraging participatory democracy.

Like in Bhutan, an ‘educating for happiness’ program is also being implemented in Brazil. But, instead of a Buddhist-based approach, since students are of multi-cultural backgrounds, a universal scientific approach is used, she said. Some of these exercises include lighter practices, such as comedy theatre, and more serious activities, such as group “deep listening”.

Susan pointed out that youth has also be trained to conduct their GNH survey. The advantage of this approach, she said, was that the survey was not expensive.

Plans are afoot to implement the GNH approach in seven more communities.

Distrust, apathy, alienation, exhaustion, and television addiction are some of the problems Brazilian society is grappling with, according to Susan.

The three-day conference ends today.

Source: Kuenselonline