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By Kuenzang Lekzel The recent report by the Bhutan Transparency Initiative (2023) highlights minimal public awareness regarding the roles and functions of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). According to the report, a significant segment of the population (33.3%) believes that the OAG needs to amplify its advocacy efforts and raise awareness about its services and mandates. The OAG …

In Bhutan, taxation policies have traditionally supported the nation’s unique model of development, grounded in the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Recently, however, the government has increased taxes to boost revenue for funding public goods and services, including infrastructure. While this move aims to benefit the country, it has also raised concerns about exacerbating the divide between the haves …

…𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 By Pema Chozom, Tenzin Euden & Sonam Choki Bhutan has seen a notable uptick in the influx of individuals, predominantly young females and male, engaging in sex work. Reported cases, delineated by age, have shown a steady escalation since 2019, spanning from 17-year-olds to those aged 25 and beyond. …

…𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝑷𝑽 𝒗𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 By Kezang ChodenCervical cancer has emerged as a significant public health concern in Bhutan, with the incidence of the disease steadily increasing over the past decade. Recent statistics reveal an alarming trend, with an annual influx of 70-80 new cervical cancer patients and 25-30 …

In the shadowed corners of Bhutan, a disturbing trend is emerging – an increasing number of young boys and girls are being drawn into the perilous world of sex work. This alarming reality demands immediate attention and concerted action from all sectors of society. As the faces of this vulnerable population grow younger, the urgency to protect their rights and …

Phurba, popularly known as Rubji Phurba, is a teacher by profession and has been in the field of singing, composing songs, and writing lyrics for the last three decades. He has sung over 400 songs, of which he composed about 200, and won a national title in the year 2008. Q. When did you start writing lyrics, singing, and composing …

“…𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒕, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄.” By Sonam Choki Dhan Man Bjujel’s journey through alcohol addiction spanned a decade-long battle, beginning in 2013. As he struggled with alcoholism over the years, the toll on his life became increasingly evident. However, his commitment to …

…𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉- 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒉 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Tenzin EudenIn 2004, tragedy struck the serene village of Salamjee in Dagana when a devastating landslide washed away homes and livestock, leaving the land barren and the residents without hope. Despite this devastation, the resilient people of Salamjee were presented with a choice by the government: relocate …

…𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 By Kezang Choden Pemba Lhamo, a resident of Tsangkha Gewong in Dagana Dzongkhag, began her winter strawberry farming journey in January 2023. Through sheer determination and agricultural ingenuity, she has achieved remarkable success in managing her farm. With four flourishing strawberry greenhouses covering an area of 50 decimals, Lhamo’s dedication …

…𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔 In recent years, Bhutan has witnessed a remarkable shift in its tourism landscape with the emergence of a significant number of female guides. What may seem like a statistical increase at first glance represents a profound societal transformation, challenging long-standing gender norms and empowering women in a traditionally male-dominated field. In Bhutanese …