Items related to "Human Security Gateway: Bhutan". Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:24 +0000 Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:24 +0000 robert_hartfiel@sfu.ca (Robert Hartfiel) Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:01:35 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23634 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23634 Acute and chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies have been found in refugee camp populations (1). In southeastern Nepal, despite consistent access by refugees to general rations,* certain micronutrient deficiencies have posed a substantial health burden to the approximately 100,000 Bhutanese residing in seven refugee camps (2). Limited food diversity, frequent illness, and poor feeding practices have been cited as underlying causes of poor nutritional status in this population. Annual surveys to assess levels of acute malnutrition (i.e., wasting) and chronic malnutrition (i.e., stunting) have been conducted in these camps by the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); however, the capacity to reliably evaluate micronutrient deficiencies has not existed locally in the camps (3). In January 2007, AMDA and CDC, at the request of UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP), conducted a nutritional survey of children aged 6--59 months, assessing 1) the prevalence of acute malnutrition, chronic malnutrition, underweight, anemia, and angular stomatitis (i.e., riboflavin deficiency); 2) the cumulative incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory illness (ARI); and 3) the feeding practices of the children's mothers. This report describes the results of that survey, which indicated that, although acute malnutrition was found in only 4.2% of the children, chronic malnutrition was found in 26.9% and anemia in 43.3%. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring both malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and addressing the underlying causes of nutritional deficits. SOURCE: Center for Disease Control // Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Center for Disease Control // Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:16:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22941 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22941 Un printemps sous le signe du scrutin. Il n’est pas qu’en France (municipales) ou en Espagne (législatives) que cette fin d’hiver inspire l’électeur épris de devoir civique. A l’instar des élections législatives du weekend dernier en Malaisie (tout en demeurant majoritaire à l’Assemblée, le parti au pouvoir… depuis l’indépendance en 1957, affiche son plus mauvais résultat en un demi-siècle), du scrutin local se déroulant ce jour dans les provinces orientales du Sri Lanka (« libérées » l’été dernier du joug de la guérilla sécessionniste tamoule du LTTE), les semaines, les mois à venir vont voir défiler, en cette lointaine Asie, un florilège de rendez-vous politiques et électoraux . Si la majorité de ces scrutins n’emportera de conséquences qu’au niveau local ou national, il en est en revanche une poignée qui, de part l’importance ou la sensibilité de « l’enjeu », dépassent pourtant le stade strictement national, ainsi que le suggère le cas taïwanais ci-après. SOURCE: Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:40:58 -0800 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22690 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=22690 According to Bhutan’s State media on 21 February 2008, the Bhutanese security forces arrested eight people from the Nepali speaking minority in Bhutan. They were detained in connection with a series of bombings apparently aimed at disrupting the forthcoming elections. The Bhutanese security forces claimed that the detained persons are members of the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) — a group blamed for 4 February 2008 explosion in Bhutan's southwest and four other blasts across the country in January 2008. The Human Rights Organization of Bhutan (HUROB) on the other hand claimed that the Bhutanese security forces also brutally killed four persons belonging to Nepali minority and the whereabouts of the eight arrested persons are not known. The Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) (BCP) and the Bhutan Tiger Force (BTF) are two increasingly visible armed groups. Both group’s primary political goal is the return to Bhutan of the more than 100,000 refugees from Bhutan who have lived in refugee camps in eastern Nepal since the early 1990s. Bhutan will hold the first elections on 24 March 2008 and the members of the Nepali community will be disenfranchised and further marginalized as a result. SOURCE: Asian Centre for Human Rights Asian Centre for Human Rights Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:53:58 -0800 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=21078 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=21078 In the early 1990s tens of thousands of ethnic Nepalis were arbitrarily deprived of their Bhutanese citizenship. Some were then expelled from Bhutan, while others fled the country to escape from a campaign of arbitrary arrest and detention directed against the ethnic Nepalis. For sixteen years these Bhutanese refugees have languished in seven refugee camps in Nepal with no resolution to their plight. In October 2006, however, the United States announced its willingness to resettle up to 60,000 of the refugees. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19945 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=19945 Since the last update, one major event was the successful visit of the King and the Crown Prince for six days in the last week of July when the trade and transit agreement was signed for another ten years. The King had very useful discussions particularly on security issues that were not made public. The Tala Project has since been commissioned and is producing power for energy starved India. Preparation for ushering in democracy by 2008 is going on at a fast pace and the election commissioner of Bhutan has since started the preliminaries for state wide elections. Most important and perhaps in our view a major breakthrough is the announcement of USA of its readiness to take a substantial number of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal for resettlement with Australia and Canada also pitching in. SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:22 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17949 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17949 This tiny landlocked Himalayan Kingdom is presently in the throes of a modernisation dilemma. Headed by a modernist King, Jigme-Singye Wangchuk, the regime has been incrementally democratising political institutions even as it attempts preserve the Drukpa character of polity and society. The conflict in Bhutan is one of identity and power sharing. The minority Ngalongs, who occupy almost every position of any consequence in the country have increasingly come under pressure from ethnic Nepalis, whose principal demands include proportional representation in and democratisation of political institutions. Its remoteness and small internal security net-work has also attracted several insurgent groups fighting the Indian security forces, who have made the kingdom the location for their hide-outs and training camps. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal South Asia Terrorism Portal Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:16 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17658 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17658 Just when the refugee issue is getting sorted out with many countries offering to resettle them, the hard-line leadership is back to their earlier antics in politicizing the issue. The Nepal Government which hardly took any initiative till now is suddenly discovering that the refugee issue is a serious one and that a firm stand is nec#essary at a time when a more flexible approach would be necessary. The refugee leaders have often bemoaned the helplessness of Nepal government who were then beset with their own internal problems. Now Nepal is taking a stand that the refugees should not be allowed to go in for third country settlement and that they should all be repatriated to Bhutan at any cost. This is hardly going to bring any relief to the refugees. SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17592 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=17592 In covering the developments of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, we had always maintained that it is a humanitarian issue and not a political one and that the political leaders who are active both inside and outside the camps should eschew politics in dealing with the refugees. After all, it is the very same political parties which brought the issue to the fore in 1990 in mobilising innocent people for demonstrations which resulted in a large number of genuine citizens being forced to leave their homes and settle for a miserable life in the camps in eastern Nepal. Sixteen years later not a single refugee has returned to his/her home despite 15 high level ministerial meetings between Bhutan and Nepal. When a solution to the problem is in sightwith a chance to dismantle the camps in due course, we find that the political parties are again gearing up to mislead the refugees from making their choice for third country settlement after the recent US offer to take 50 to 60 thousand refugees for settlement. (Update 56 refers). SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:47 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16460 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=16460 This document describes the experiences of Aita Singh Gurung and Ganga Adhikari as illustrations of the problems facing Bhutanese people in refugee camps in eastern Nepal. They are waiting for the governments of Bhutan and Nepal to come to an agreement on their right to return to Bhutan. But ten years after they first arrived at the refugee camps, there is little prospect of an early return. SOURCE: Amnesty International Amnesty International Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:45 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14484 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=14484 Timeline of security incidents in Bhutan. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal South Asia Terrorism Portal Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:18 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13561 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13561 Bhutan did not witness any significant terrorist activity during the year 2006, and is the only South Asian nation to have almost entirely escaped the shadow of terror. The decision it took in December 2003 to evict militant outfits from Bhutanese soil, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) operating in the neighbouring Indian State of Assam, and the North Bengal-based Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), continues to pay rich dividends for the mountain kingdom, although there are some indications that the ULFA may be resurfacing in the country. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal South Asia Terrorism Portal Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:12 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13407 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=13407 South Asia Analysis Group is a non profit non commercial think tank. The objective of the group is to advance strategic analysis and contribute to the expansion of knowledge of Indian and International security and promote public understanding. In so doing, the SAAG seeks to address the decision makers, strategic planners, academics and the media in South Asia and the world at large. The group holds the concept of strategy in its broadest meaning-including mobilization and application of all resources to understand national and international security. The articles in this site are provided by scholars with many years of experience in political and strategic analysis. The aim of the group is not to compete with Governments, Academics, NGOs or other institutions dealing with strategic analysis and national security but to provide another point of view for the decision makers and other national/international think tanks. SOURCE: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:58 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=12615 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=12615 SATP is the largest website on terrorism and low intensity warfare in South Asia, and creates the database and analytic context for research and analysis of all extremist movements in the region. SATP has been set up to counter the progressive distortions regarding, and the international community's neglect of, the wide range of terrorist movements within South Asia, and particularly in India. SATP establishes a comprehensive, searchable and con#tinuously updated database on all available information relating to terrorism, low intensity warfare and ethnic/communal/sectarian strife in South Asia. SOURCE: Institute for Conflict Management Institute for Conflict Management Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9627 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9627 Lok Bahadur Acharya and his family fled their home in southern Bhutan for many generations in 1992. The army had come to their house at night several times and threatened to harm the family unless they left the country. The family tried to resist. Acharya went to the local authorities to file a complaint, but the officials did not care. Then one night, a soldier attacked Acharya's wife by stabbing her in the chest with the knife tip of his gun. The rest of the village had already fled and they realised that if they wanted to live they had to leave at once. The family has lived in Beldangi III refugee camp in Jhapa province in southeastern Nepal ever since, waiting to return to their motherland. "When we lived in Bhutan we didn't know we would have to face such problems. Our forefathers spent their lives there. It's our country and we were happy to live there with our families. We had our property, our relatives and friends, our land. We spent our lives there. We contributed to the land of Bhutan with our sweat. We didn't know we would be stateless one day," Acharya said. Acharya and his family are among the 135,000 Bhutanese refugees languishing in Nepal and India, who ran away from a violent ethnic cleansing campaign in Bhutan that tried to rid much of its Nepali-speaking southern population. The majority of the refugees live in seven camps in southeastern Nepal's Jhapa and Morang provinces. SOURCE: Asian Human Rights Commission Asian Human Rights Commission Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:36 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9044 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=9044 With the offer of USA, Canada and other well meaning countries to take the bulk of the refugees for settlement abroad, it was thought that the poor refugees now nearly 106,000 and languishing in the camps for the last sixteen years would finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. But surprisingly both Nepal and Bhutan are taking a very rigid stand. Even the high level meeting between the two governments on the refugees has not taken place. SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8757 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=8757 While the US Government is getting ready to follow up with its promise of absorbing over 60,000 refugees over a five-year period, the Nepal Government continues to be in a denial mode. For the first time in the last sixteen years, the locals and the refugees in the Sanischare camp had a serious clash on 22n and 23rd February resulting in casualties on both sides and the Police had to open fire to maintain order. Curfew had to be imposed on the main stretches of the national highway and the injured could not even be brought back from the hospitals. On the official side, the India-Bhutan friendship treaty came into force on 3rd March. Preparations for the elections under the new constitution are taking place in a systematic manner. Finally, the Tala project has proved its# worth with earnings of over 130.66 Crores of rupees in six months. ( Are the Nepalese listening?). SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:39 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=5574 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=5574 This working paper explores the reasons commonly identified for the rise of political and radical Islam throughout the Muslim world. Besides Anti-American sentiment which is often attributed to U.S. support for Israel as well as American backing for hated repressive regimes, especially in the Middle East, the paper also looks at the radicalization of Asian Muslim communities. Regional conflicts have created large cadres of committed Jihadis and unresolved conflicts have likewise contributed to the growth of radicalism. Which ever the case, the absence of ideological alternatives and the declining performance of the state in caring for its citizens is a major factor, which have been exploited by well-funded and organized radical groups. Western aid, as experience has shown in South Asia, has largely been used in terms of short-term security interests. SOURCE: Danish Institute for International Studies Danish Institute for International Studies Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:38 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=5382 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=5382 SOURCE: HIV InSite Database of Country and Regional Indicators // Center for HIV Information // University of California San Francisco HIV InSite Database of Country and Regional Indicators // Center for HIV Information // University of California San Francisco Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=4304 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=4304 It looks that the sixteenth ministerial talks between Nepal and Bhutan to be held at Thimpu on November 21-21 are likely to end in failure and what is more it will end in further deterioration of relations between the two countries. This much was evident from the statement of Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister K.P.Oli made recently at an interactive session conducted by the Centre for Alternate Media (CAM) recently on November 3. SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group South Asia Analysis Group Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:11 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2760 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2760 Ruled by the Wangchuck dynasty since early in the twentieth century, Bhutan is attempting to modernize while simultaneously seeking to protect its cultural identity from western influences. The results of these efforts have however been the active state promotion of the dominant Buddhist Drukpa culture and its resulting imposition upon the sizable Nepalese minority that resides in the country's southern region. The Nepalis, many of whom have lived in Bhutan for decades, and some of whom have been granted citizenship, constitute around 35% of the country's population. Clashes between the Nepalese and government forces during the early 1990s, widespread human rights abuses against the Nepalese by state security forces, and the forced expulsion of large numbers of Nepalese under the country's citizenship law led to a large-scale exodus from Bhutan's southern region. Around 90,000 Nepalis remain in refugee camps in Nepal while another 30,000 are in India awaiting a return to Bhutan. Some analysts refer to this period as an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Nepalese. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:41:06 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2288 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=2288 In this submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Human Rights Watch provided information to the Committee on violations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Bhutanese government against ethnic Nepali children in Bhutan and Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:40:49 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=714 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=714 SOURCE: Protection Project // School of Advanced International Studies // Johns Hopkins University Protection Project // School of Advanced International Studies // Johns Hopkins University