Did King of Bhutan Learn from Nepal?

The announcement of abdication by Bhutanese king Jigme Singye Wangchuck to make way for his son to the throne has drawn mixed reaction from the Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal.

While some refugee organizations have described the announcement as a ruse to baffle the international community that the authoritarian Druk regime is heading towards democratization, while some political observers from South Asia took it as a positive learning from the King of Bhutan from neighboring Nepal. However, there are hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal for more than a decade because of the atrocities to the ethnicity different from the King himself.

On Saturday, Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) – Bhutan unveiled the Human Rights abuse in Bhutan with a press note stating, "During his 34 years of autocratic rule in Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck suppressed his citizens and is responsible for gross violation of human rights and eviction of above one hundred thousand innocent citizens."

The organization stated that hundreds of citizens were tortured, killed, raped and treated inhumanly in jails by the Royal Bhutan Army commanded by King Jigme. The limited rights granted to people during the reign of third King were seized and the national legislature was turned into a rubber stamp, the state mechanism became his propaganda machinery and the national treasury was grossly misused for family luxuries

His desertion from taking the responsibility of all the misdeeds carried out during his tenure could not be forgiven.

However, the organization extended congratulation to the new King and expressed hope that the long-standing refugee problem would find a better approach towards repatriation of refugees during his reign.

On the other hand, the Druk National Congress (DNC) a political party has welcomed the appointment of Khesar 26, as the fifth King of Bhutan.

At a special sitting of the cabinet On Thursday King Jigme announced to step down, formally handing over the responsibility of the head of the state to his Oxford-educated son. But it has not been reported when the new king would be crowned.

The current event of succession of throne in Bhutan is not adequate to draw a conclusion that she is heading towards Democracy. However, it will not be too early to forecast that Bhutan will also pay a big price if people’s aspirations in the country are not met. Bhutan alone cannot be left behind in the march towards Democracy and Human Rights.