Additional pain to DNC
The judiciary in Bhutan is still under influences of the autocratic regime of the past upholding verdicts that are intended to crush all possible oppositions in the country.
Few days before the death of freedom fighter Rongthong Kunley, his supporters in Bhutan, now serving jail sentence, have been given additional prison sentences. And it was all done in courtrooms when these DNC activists fail to get any attorneys to speak in their favour.
According to high Court verdict, Rinzin Wangdi will serve additional seven years and six months in jail apart from his previous 25 years. He was slapped this confinement for allegedly planting bombs in November 1997 in Chamlimithang ground to disrupt the birthday celebrations of King Jigme Singye.
Now he has been charged of violating the national security act. According to allegations, he snapped the photos of all political prisoners in Thimphu jail using an smartphone and sent it to Druk National Congress in exile – whose founding leader has expired.
I saw the photos of the Thimphu prisoners during the annual convention of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Society in Delhi. However, it is not clear whether the party collected these photos from the inmates’ family or Wangdi leaked them to exile.
According to allegations, Wangdi befriended a police constable Thinley Tobgay to use his phone and take pictures. The court has also slapped same jail term to Tobgay for aiding Wangdi to leak out information.
Under human rights norms, it is not violations to publish the photos of inmates and campaign for their release. It is other story for the campaign to prove he/she is not guilty – through evidences. And this is the first instance I read that an inmate has been extended his jail term for giving someone his photos.
No doubt, Bhutanese inmates charged of anti-government activities never get any attorneys to defend them and court verdicts are based on what police and government produce documents against him. A single inmate locked up in jail, without attorney and witness, will absolutely fail to produce any evidence of his innocence. That’s what stories go on in Bhutan for political activists.
The autocracy continues to thrive in Bhutan. Fabricated democracy gives them no space to enjoy fundamental rights. It has added pain to already paining DNC in exile. Very sorry to hear that.
No doubt the day shall come for the people onnce. Lets pray the day shall not fall like the day of Gadaffii.
Coz Jigme has done lot of in justics to civils. Flow of people sentiment shall not block by his power wait for the day to com
As along as the chief architect of autocracy, anti-democracy and racist policies is lurking behind the shadows, there is no democracy in Bhutan. Behind the facade of democratic switch-over from K-4 autocratic racist regime, the lurking serpent is spilling its venom in the form of arbitrary detention as a show of fear for anyone supporting the democratic movement outside the country.
Knowing very well the designs of the regime even after the so-called democratic change, the West decided to resettle us such that if we stay united, one the resettled people would be able to help usher in democracy when the people inside Bhutan wake up from their deep slumber. Right now, most Bhutanese inside are still under the spell of the anesthesia of fear and ignorance administered by the regime in the name of GNH and purported democracy.
But it was remarkable to see as a Kuensel headline on the passing of the DNC leader in Gangtok on 20 October. It was a single line but appeared that Kuensel acknowledged it. Was it to indicate to the readers as a mockery of the leaders and parties in exile? I wonder. The deceptive regime is still full of hypocrisy.