The movement which started in Bhutan was not a democratic movement but a movement for the basic rights to co-exist as individuals with common principles, policies and ideologies with an un-biased system of governance. Over the years, the movement has gained momentum as a movement for human rights and democracy. It is not a significant development but a collective show of frustration to the Bhutanese Government for its failure to redress the refugee situation at the earliest. Militancy becomes the ultimate weapon of a dispossessed population when it sees no resolution insight. However, in the Bhutanese context, it is not the case. The word terrorists is the invention of Kuensel and presents them as if they are robbers when they loot Lhotsampas house-holds rather than going for government offices and installations. The Refugee population in the camps is not the stuff of passion. The unexposed peasants will not pick up Khukuri, and the youth appear to have neither the ideological favour nor the firebrand leadership that would mould into guerrillas, says Kanak Mani Dixit. In the words of a Kathmandu based diplomat, there is not one intelligence agencies in the world that would be interested in funding an uprising by Bhutanese people.
The militancy in Southern Bhutan, some of which took place can not be entirely attributed to the Lhotsampa dissidents. Those who infiltrated inside Bhutan acted independently without any support or base for obvious reasons either to take revenge for evictions, looting, tortures and rape of family members or to meet their relatives. Thus, the Bhutanese Government got all the time needed to blow up the militancy issue out of proportion. It is clear from the terrorists acts reported by the government that the Lhotsampas have been simply made the scapegoats as the majority of the listed victims are defenceless ethnic Lhotsampa peasants instead of the Ngalongs. There is absolutely no doubt that many people from the adjoining areas are infiltrating in Bhutan and are taking advantage of the lawless situation created by the government.
Dawa Tshering in Jan 1992 told the pressmen in Dhaka that "radical groups like Communists, Leftists and Naxalites in West Bengal, India and Nepal" were patronising terrorists against Bhutan. When asked to share his view points about the so called militancy by the Lhotsampas, police sub inspector Hom Jung Chauhan who has been manning the Kakarvita border check post since the refugees started arriving in late 1990 categorically states that "You cannot expect any militancy from this lot, these villagers come with long Khukuris hung down their sides but their strength is gone. Sometimes I asked them in exasperation, why this timidity? Contradictory statements about the terrorist activities have been made by the ruling elite in Thimphu time and again in face of international persecution and condemnation. The government publications and the government newspaper Kuensel have kept up a steady barrage of accusations and graphic photos of the victims, almost all of whom are ethnic Lhotsampas. In the one hand the government blames the planned take over of the country by the dissidents with the majority support from the Lhotsampas and on the other hand it comes out with shocking colour photographs of the beheaded Lhotsampa victims. If the motive behind was to win the support of the Lhotsampas then why should the Lhotsampas be targeted by the dissidents or insurgents in the first case? While some reports of anti-national activities are credible, virtually no crime in southern Bhutan is attributed to protesters. Amnesty International concluded "What seem ordinary criminal acts are reported as being the responsibility of anti-nationals", despite the apparent lack of evidence to confirm that political opponents of the government, rather than common criminals, were responsible. Further, some terrorist charges are simply not credible.
Vexed by false propaganda about the Lhotsampas, the Bhutanese Regime was too quick to counter the dissidents’ claim of ignorance to the southern Bhutanese human rights abuses. As a cover up for its false propaganda, prisoners from Chemgang prison and from other lock-ups were dressed up in the borrowed camouflage uniform of the soldiers and made to pose for the photo session. Concurrently, the prisoners were also photographed for counter terrorists’ propaganda and flashed in the major dailies in India and in Kuensel. This action of the government temporarily gave them an edge over the southern problem and they stepped up rigorous torture of the innocent people in the name of militancy and the subsequent eviction.
The true aim of the lhotasmpas is not to turn Bhutan into one ethnic group dominated state as alleged by the regime. Neither the Lhotsampas are contemplating to launch an insurgency movement in Bhutan; backed by the Gorkha veterans and mercenaries or with the support of the Nepal Government. It is now an issue of our identity with Bhutan and a struggle to exist in social harmony in the changed political atmosphere of Bhutan without bogus and biased insignificant issues. The refugees have sacrificed their precious moment of life advocating human rights with some political changes for over six years now without any wrong designs to the ruler’s culture. The Lhotsampas are adamant in their stand that they could not take any support of armed rebellion to Bhutan from the non-Bhutanese at any cost, a fact aptly proved by their total absence from making any adverse comments to Bhutan and their tolerance. The first and foremost aim of the Lhotsampas is to return to Bhutan-where they belong. All the people of Bhutan irrespective of their racial and cultural backgrounds opine that the Bhutanese Government must take drastic steps to repatriate the Bhutanese citizens from refugee camps and save Bhutan from further international insult. Regarding international support the refugees will have it ---- a fact which Bhutan even cannot deny. Instant sympathy and support have been rendered to the refugees; for the international community is aware of the genuine demands and rights of Lhotsampas who qualify as Bhutanese citizens from every perspective.
Millions of dollars are pumped into Bhutan by European countries, Asian countries and World Organisations (World Bank, ADB etc.) for developing Bhutan and her people’s condition. But see the people of Bhutan in picture if you cannot visit them. They know nothing about that these helps are meant for them. They want freedom and wish for civilisation. The above photograph depicts the living conditions of north-eastern people and the government’s claim for sincerity.
The Bhutan problem is not accessible to the outside world and descriptions of current conditions are from the government publications and from some Human Rights groups and intellectuals. The reports by Kuensel (a publication of Bhutanese Government) are biased. It is true that some of the schools in Southern Bhutan have been opened, not for the village children but for the children of the government employees, security forces and public officials in active services. Some of the schools still house the soldiers and the innocent captives. The world body by and large cannot be taken to meet ones' whims and fancies by false media propaganda and publications.
Description of the photo: The King Jigme looks victorious with the garland, the priests look frustrated and degraded, the ladies fortunate to photograph with the king, Army Chief more suppressive, all others including Mr. Om Pradhan look blessed with the Tikka but, all four queens are missing why ? Only the children look innocent and joyous in this photo.
The King, by posing for a cheap propaganda photographs with Hindu pundits on either sides is indeed very cheap. It is worthwhile to mention here that such type of dress regulation wasn't prescribed for the Hindu pundits to put on Kamnee (scarf) in their traditional gear. The motive behind the photograph is very clear and to remind His Majesty - all the Lhotsampas who had posed for the photo session have Ngalong spouses. His Majesty the King garlanded with marigold flower is happy to please the outsiders with his handsome smile but what about the ones with marigold garlands on? In this particular photograph, the queens are not photographed why? It is well planned move by the government of Bhutan to make a fool of the global people by simply exposing the king's own fault. The officials who are Lhotsampas should have been having merry-gold garland, instead of posing for a ridiculous photograph. This photograph depicts the familiar posture of the king with his Lhotsampa people but the actual hidden meaning behind the sweet smile is unknown. The pundits in white attire are made to pose for the photograph out of compulsion. Such type of pundits with this fashion does not exist in Southern Bhutan or in Hindu Religion.
It is very unfair of the government to brand the Bhutanese peasants as anti-nationals. The plea of the Southern Bhutanese, first presented to His Majesty Jigme in written appeal for the intervention of His Majesty to the misuse of power by the census officials was ignored and the applicants served severe sentences without any warrant and trail. David B. Thromson writes that "in April 1988, two southern Bhutanese members of the Royal Advisory Counsel submitted a cautiously worded petition to the king out-lining Southern Bhutanese concern about the census. The petitioned reported "Census teams are questioning the people with undue threats", "citizenship identity cards already issued have been confiscated, village elders are not permitted to testify the credentials of their village people", "illiterate and simple village people are being coerced into signing documents, the contents of which are not known to them" and "the people believe that this is not a routine exercise as it is made out to be". The cabinet declared the petition seditious, focusing the blame on one of the authors, Tek Nath Rizal. Mr Rizal was removed from office, arrested and held for treason and served 10 years prison terms in Bhutan before he was released.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees equal rights to the citizens of any country and the petition presented to the king is not at all seditious for it simply appeals the king to protect peoples' rights and to stop the abuse of power by the census officials. The reported amnesty to the persons by His Majesty Jigme for terrorism and subversion itself is a flaw of the government. The detainees were released under compulsion from international pressure and from the human rights watchdogs. The Lhotsampas cannot be equated with anti-nationals as their cause is unique by itself. Unlike the Tamilians in Sri Lanka and Kashmiris in North India; struggling for self determination and total autonomy, the Lhotsampas in Bhutan just voiced for human rights-forget about democracy. Hence terrorists and anti-nationals are a vague term and its description in the Bhutanese context is not appropriate.
The Southern Bhutanese people were forced to address applications to the government for voluntary immigration under dire threat, and severe intimidation and heavy penalty. The Lhotsampas were relieved from financial burdens from rural taxes, labour contribution and sales tax on oranges only in 1992 when the government was caught red-handed for its worst human rights records and forceful eviction. By scanning the above photographs, one simply cannot believe and take the Lhotsampas as anti-nationals. The people in the photographs itself are sufficient enough to describe the timidity and their loyalty to their benefactor.
The visits by the king to the disturbed areas in Southern Bhutan were made more frequent than necessary. Though the visits generated a new lease of hope and aspirations for the Lhotsampas, due to the concern of their king, yet his subordinates the wolves in sheep's clothing acted against the interest of the king and forced the people to evacuate their lands and property. Wrong information was fed to the king about the Lhotsampas thereby creating a negative impression about the real motives and actions by the Lhotsampas. Lieutenant chimi Dorji of the Royal Body Guards, deputed to monitor the implementation of the census policies in Chirang, terrorised the people to such an extent that even Changez Khan could not have dared to do so. In fact, the district administration was virtually in his power and even the district officials feared Chimi's wrath. Most of the orange orchards and immovable properties in Chirang were seized by Chimi Dorji and registered in his name. The development in southern Bhutan proved to be frightening experience for the ruling elite and programmes to launch a false propaganda of the king’s concern to his subjects was initiated. The scene enacted there in looked unrealistic. The top most executive appeals to the people in one hand and on the other hand the peasants were deported after the king's appeal. In fact the scene in Southern Bhutan represented a cheap story of a villain and a horde of hooligans. No civilised society would make its ruler cheap by making him pose for a cheap publicity stunt nor would any conscious society create an impression of a good cop and a bad cop with a negative impact.
