The Lhotshampa refugees from Bhutan in the camps of southeast Nepal have finally raised some dust. Having tarried for over five years on UN HCR dole, waiting for desultory talks
There are those who would die—and some who would kill—for old stamps from Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan.
A true philatelist (Webster's: phi-lat-e-list, "a collector of
Dawa Tsering is the longest-serving foreign minister in the world. While he denied Himal entry into Bhutan, Lyonpo (minister) Tsering agreed to respond to questions by fax. (Readers should note
Bhutan today teeters on the edge of geopolitical ruin. It could tip over, or it could recover in time. It is, basically, up to King Jigme Singye Wangchuk.
In 1990,
Traditional virtues were abandoned by many scholars of Bhutan, when confronted with the Southern Problem.
I am a journalist and know my place at academic conferences: keep quiet, take notes,
Bhutan strictly controls access to its mountains, but that is because the people want it so. In the battle between sport and spiritual belief, the latter wins for the moment.
The Bhutanese refugees have a problem. The world outside Nepal does not know they are there. The few that hear of them are told that they are migrants from the
Bhutan's economy, which had historically looked north to Tibet, reached a turning point in 1865, when the Sinchula Treaty was signed with British India. This reorientation from north
Amnesty International sent a team to Bhutan in mid-January 1992. It was well-received, kept in the Kunga Chholing royal guest house, and provided with official escorts who accompanied it everywhere.
