Freedom in the World 1998 - Bhutan

1998 Scores

Status: Not Free
Freedom Rating: 6.5
Civil Liberties: 6
Political Rights: 7

Ratings Change

Bhutan's civil liberties rating changed from 7 to 6 due to a change in Freedom House methodology to reflect an easing in state intrusion into the personal lives of its citizens.

Overview

Amid mounting pressure for democratic change in this absolute monarchy, in 1998 Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk initiated limited political reforms while authorities continued to arrest and detain dozens of dissidents.

Britain began to guide this Himalayan land's affairs in 1865 and installed the ruling Wangchuk dynasty in 1907. Britain's role ended with a 1949 treaty that gave India control over Bhutan's foreign affairs. Since then, New Delhi has supported the Wangchuk family's continued rule as an absolute monarchy. In 1972, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the current monarch, succeeded his father to the throne. The 150-member National Assembly has little independent power. Every three years, village headmen choose 100 National Assembly members, while the king appoints members to 40 seats. Religious groups appoint members to 10 seats.

By the mid-1980s, the government, dominated by the minority Tibetan-descended Ngalong Drukpa ethnic group, increasingly viewed the country's more populous Nepali-speakers, who are also known as Southern Bhutanese, as a threat to its absolute power. The regime introduced cultural restrictions in 1987, and, in 1988, after a census revealed Southern Bhutanese to be in the majority in five southern districts, authorities began to apply a discriminatory citizenship act arbitrarily to strip thousands of Southern Bhutanese of their citizenship.

Southern Bhutanese carried out pro-democracy demonstrations in southern Bhutan in 1990, accompanied by some arson and violence. Between 1990 and 1992, soldiers raped and beat Southern Bhutanese villagers, and forcibly expelled tens of thousands. There are currently some 94,500 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.

In 1994, dissidents from the country's third and perhaps largest major ethnic group, the Sarchop community in eastern Bhutan, launched the Druk National Congress (DNC) party in exile. In 1997, the DNC and several Southern Bhutanese-based exile groups formed the United Front for Democracy. By July 1997, authorities had arrested scores of suspected DNC members and sympathizers.

In June 1998, the King dissolved the council of ministers, or cabinet; removed himself as its chairman; gave parliament the power, in theory, to remove the king through a two-thirds vote; and allowed the legislature to elect a majority of the cabinet, although the king will still assign portfolios. In July, diplomat Jigme Thinley became head of the council of ministers. Analysts said the changes were limited in practice and were an attempt to improve the regime's international image and divide the pro-democracy movement.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

The Bhutanese people lack the democratic means to change their government. The king wields absolute power, and policy-making is centered around the king and a small group of largely interrelated Ngalong elites. The National Assembly is often a forum for diatribes against the Southern Bhutanese, who hold a disproportionately small number of seats. Political parties are prohibited in practice.

The rule of law is nonexistent. Between 1990 and 1992, the army and police committed grave human rights violations against Southern Bhutanese, including arbitrary arrests, beatings, rape, destruction of homes, and robbery. Few if any of those responsible have been punished, resulting in a climate of impunity. The Royal Bhutan Army maintains a considerable presence in the south and continues to conduct arbitrary searches, harass residents, and intimidate police and local officials. Assamese and Bodo militants from northeast India keep bases in southern Bhutan and contribute to a climate of insecurity.

The rudimentary judiciary is not independent. The King appoints and can dismiss judges, most of whom have little legal training. Several detainees and prisoners have reportedly died in custody in recent years due to poor conditions. Tek Nath Rizal, South Asia's best-known political prisoner, was sentenced in 1993 to life in prison under a broadly drawn national security act that was passed three years after his imprisonment. According to Amnesty International, since July 1997, authorities have reportedly arrested more than 150 suspected DNC members and sympathizers and subjected them to incommunicado detention, torture, and other abuses.

Freedom of speech is restricted, and criticism of the king is not permitted, except indirectly during National Assembly discussions. The state-owned weekly Kuensel, Bhutan's only regular publication, is government-controlled. Satellite dishes are banned. Freedom of assembly is nonexistent, and there is no freedom of association for political purposes, although some business and civic organizations are permitted.

The country's sixth Five-Year Plan (1987 to 1992) introduced a "One Nation, One People" program to promote Driglam Namzha, the national dress and customs of the ruling Ngalongs. A 1989 royal decree made Driglam Namzha mandatory for all Bhutanese, although enforcement has been sporadic. The government also banned the Nepali language as a subject of instruction in schools.

Southern Bhutanese are required to obtain official "No Objection Certificates" (NOCs) to enter schools, take government jobs, and sell farm products. In practice, NOCs are frequently denied. Anecdotal data from Bhutanese refugees with relatives in Bhutan suggest that large numbers of Southern Bhutanese children have no local schools to attend.

The Drukpa Kagyu sect of Mahayana Buddhism is the official state religion, and Buddhist priests wield significant political influence. During a 1997 crackdown, authorities reportedly closed 13 monasteries of the Nyingmpa school of Buddhism that is practiced by most Sarchops. Many Southern Bhutanese are Hindus and, due to persecution, cannot worship freely.

Independent trade unions and strikes are not permitted. Villagers are often forced to contribute "voluntary" labor for state projects. Property rights are limited, and in recent years authorities have resettled some northern Bhutanese on land belonging to refugees.