Sophistication of ancient Bhutanese canvases

There is so much gold and so much detail to them -- the paintings are extraordinarily fine with deep reds and yellows and gold. In the dim lights of the temples they really do glow like jewels.

Few British experts who recently completed a survey on Bhutanese paintings through ‘Original Materials and Techniques of the Wall Paintings of Bhutan’ project were stunned by the sophistication and exclusivity of ancient Bhutanese paintings.

These specialists from the Courtauld Institute in England have been amazed by the exquisite quality and technical sophistication of paintings that were largely unknown and unrecorded in the west.

"They have a rich glow to them. There is so much gold and so much detail to them -- the paintings are extraordinarily fine with deep reds and yellows and gold. In the dim lights of the temples they really do glow like jewels," Lisa Shekede, the leader of the project, told the CNN news.

"Unless you really understand how subtle these paintings are and how they're composed it's very easy to harm them when you clean them," she said.

She also said that one of the major problems has been Westerners coming into the region and doing inappropriate treatment of the works, which causes irreversible damage.

According to the Institute, the research is fundamental for the painting's future preservation, with similar artifacts in India and Tibet having been irreversibly damaged by modern cleaning methods.

It is stated that most Bhutanese wall paintings date back to around 17th century and are some of the best surviving works in the region.

Similarly, The Observer says that the wall paintings are among the earliest in Bhutan, and are intimately associated with one of the most revered figures in Bhutanese Buddhism, the saint Pema Lingpa. The paintings can be dated precisely to his time at Tamshing, between 1501 and 1506, and they include his portrait.

In an interview with The Observer Professor David Park, one of the experts from the Courtauld Institute, said that the Bhutanese wall paintings are absolutely stunning and some of the earlier examples are extraordinary.

The Observer says that the experts were astonished by the unexpected rich, jewel-like quality of some of the paintings in such remote settings.

Mr. Rickerby, one of the experts in the team, said that Bhutan's isolationist past protected its cultural heritage from such dangers, but the opening up of the country means that such risks cannot now be ignored.

Their significance and quality deserve far wider recognition, he said.

He and a colleague will publish a report next year as a benchmark for the future study and conservation of Bhutanese paintings.

The phase I and phase II reports of the project has it that "the technology of many Bhutanese wall paintings is immensely sophisticated, including materials such as gilding, fugitive organic colorants and selective coatings".

Until now, no one had a clear idea of how many paintings existed, let alone their condition, date or significance.

According to the director of department of culture, Dorji Tshering, the project was initiated to preserve the ancient wall paintings.

He said that the experts studied what kind of material, coating and how many times they were repainted to preserve the art.

This research project on the “Original Materials and Techniques of the Wall Paintings of Bhutan” which was done in collaboration with the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London for the period of three years between 2008-2011.

The experts from the Courtauld Institute of Arts visited Lhakhangs and Dzongs of Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Wangdue, Trongsa and Bumthang were permitted to do the examining, photographing and sampling of the paintings which would help the conservators for future conservation efforts.

The team visited over 200 temples in Bhutan and documented around 50 paintings in detail.

The team of experts includes Mr. David Park, the Director of the Conservation of Wall Painting Department, and the painting conservators like Mr. Stephen John Rickerby and Ms. Lisa Shekede.

The spectacular paintings seen by the British experts include paintings from dzongs, the most important of which includes the Tamshing monastery.

“Their research will help us with the future conservation treatments of the wall paintings. There are talks on extending the project but it cannot be said for sure as of now,” said Utsha Gurung from the Department of Culture.

The last phase of the project ended between November and December last year. The team will submit the final report of their findings within this year.

Enduring, the Bhutanese way

Bhutan has utilized to the brim the country’s unique cultural eminence, diplomacy and economic development to formulate and extend its foreign policy to maintaining its sovereignty.

Despite being a small landlocked realm hidden among the Himalayas, Bhutan has set itself apart from the rest of the world, outshining as an independent nation with its young democracy and unique policies.
Unlike other power nations, Bhutan has less resource and manpower to maintain a strong military position-- regardless of this, Bhutan has utilized to the brim the country’s unique cultural eminence, diplomacy and economic development to formulate and extend its foreign policy to maintaining its sovereignty.
The basic political objectives of Bhutan’s foreign policy are to enhance and maintain national security, to promote world peace and security by engaging in meaningful dialogue with the international community, and to promote and contribute towards international understanding and cooperation as well as international peace and security on the basis of peaceful co-existence.
The other objectives are to develop and expand mutually beneficial bilateral, regional and multilateral economic and trade co-operation, and to contribute towards the development of a dynamic and a sustainable economy through mobilization of external resources.
Bhutan’s overall foreign policy objectives have been fulfilled by keeping Bhutan’s friends and development partners regularly informed of the developments in the country through Bhutan’s diplomatic missions and embassies.
Royal Government of Bhutan has also been exchanging visits at various levels, organizing international seminars, conferences, cultural and religious exhibitions about Bhutan, and participation in bilateral and multilateral meetings including at the summit levels.
Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaging with the regional and international media to promote greater awareness of the country.

Gross National Happiness
Promoting the unique philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan gain global attention and admiration, Bhutan became a synonym for happiness.
Lyonchhen first visited Japan and spoke on GNH to a packed house of Japanese corporate executives at the 23rd national seminar of the Japanese Association of Corporate Executives (JACE) at the Kochi Culture Centre where about 900 people attended the seminar.
Later he visited Denmark acknowledging its substantive support in Bhutan’s development process mainly in the areas of education, health, environment, good governance and urban development.
The PM also delivered a lecture –“GNH, A concept relevant to Danes?” which was well received by a large number of people from Denmark who expressed their interest in Lyonchhen’s dream – the GNH centre.
Lyonchhen further made a three day long visit to Switzerland starting October 18, last year. Pursuit of sustainable development and transformation as the very basis of human survival was one of the key messages Lyonchhen conveyed in his address on sustainable development to over 4,000 registered participants of the 2010 PanIIT conclave in Delhi on Oct 31.
While Lyonchhen propounded GNH around the world, two international personalities came into the country and delivered high powered talks on the development philosophy.
Giving GNH a practical chapter, the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative has been initated with the goal to raise living standards in Samdrup Jongkhar and establish food security and self-sufficiency, while fully protecting and enhancing the natural environment, strengthening communities, promoting Bhutan's unique culture, stemming the rural-urban tide, and fostering a cooperative, productive, and self-reliant spirit.
Bhutan’s multilateral relations
Bhutan was admitted as a member of the United Nations in 1971, and this has been regarded as one of the most important foreign policy initiatives taken by the Royal Government of Bhutan. This has reaffirmed Bhutan’s status as a sovereign independent country and laid the foundations for cooperation with the UN and its specialized agencies.
The UN is extremely important for Bhutan both politically and economically. Politically, as an organization based on the principle of sovereign equality of its members, it provides a forum in which Bhutan can express its views and concerns on a wide range of issues on the international agenda.
Economically, the UN and its specialized agencies are an important source of financial and technical assistance to the process of socio-economic development in Bhutan.
So far the assistance from the UN and its specialized agencies has played a vital role in the process of modernization in Bhutan since 1973. Bhutan’s Permanent Missions to the UN in New York and Geneva are the channels through which Bhutan’s foreign policy objectives vis-à-vis the UN and it subsidiary bodies and specialized agencies are implemented.
Over the years, Bhutan’s status as an active and responsible member of the UN has gained prominence through its involvement in the numerous bodies of the UN. Bhutan has also served on many important posts.

Bhutan’s bilateral relations
Since the establishment of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1970, which was upgraded to a fully fledged Ministry in 1972, since then formal diplomatic relations have been established with about 25 countries already: Afghanistan
Austria, Austraila, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, India, Japan, Kuwait, Maldives, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and European Union.
Diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan were established in 1968 with the appointment of a resident representative of India in Thimphu. The basic framework of India – Bhutan bilateral relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of 1949 between the two countries, which was updated and signed during His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s visit to India in February 2007.
The updated India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty not only reflects the contemporary nature of our relationship but also lays the foundation for the countries’ future development in the 21st century. The Treaty provides, amongst other things, for perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and commerce, and equal justice to each other's citizens.
India’s bilateral political relations with Bhutan have matured over the years and are characterized by close trust and understanding and extensive cooperation in the field of economic development, particularly in the mutually beneficial sector of hydroelectric power.
This bilateral cooperation in the hydropower sector has been carried forward with the formal inauguration of the 60 MW Kurichhu Hydroelectric project in April 2006, and commissioning of the 170 MW first unit of 1020 TALA Hydroelectric Project in July 2006. Government of India has agreed to provide assistance to Bhutan in developing the hydropower sector and to purchase at least 10,000 MW of power from Bhutan by 2020. For the purpose ten hydropower projects have been agreed during the first Empowered Joint Group Meeting held in Delhi in 2009. Of these 10 projects, the three projects – Punatsangchhu-I Hydro Electric Project, Punatsangchhu –II and Mangedechhu HEPs – are under construction.

Embassies, Missions and Honourary Consulates
Altogether Bhutan has five Royal Bhutan Embassy located in Bangkok, Brussels, Dhaka, Kuwait and New Delhi, with two Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the UN in Geneva and New York. While eight Honourary Consulates located in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and in the United States of America.
Bhutan has Friendship Associations with Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Within Bhutan, there are ten foreign missions: Embassy of India, Embassy of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Canadian Cooperation Office, Liaison Office of Denmark, JICA/JOCV Bhutan Office, SNV Bhutan, UNICEF, United Nations House, VSA Office, WWF Bhutan Program.
Bhutan will soon have a third embassy, Kuwait embassy, based in the Thimphu.

Child Adoption Bill

After the removal of the clause that caused differences in the Child Adoption Bill as pinpointed by the National Council members, the Bill was finally approved on December 2, last year.
The argument was that the section 56 (c) of the Bill states that an adopted child ceases to be the child of the biological parent and the biological parent ceases to be the parent of the adopted child which contrasted with section 58.
The section 59, on the contrary, says that the adopted child shall have the right to visit and reside in Bhutan or be granted citizenship in accordance with the relevant laws in force if the child has to return to Bhutan under unavoidable circumstances.
“Section 59 stated that a Bhutanese child adopted by foreign parents will be allowed to travel and reside in Bhutan, which is a fundamental right granted to Bhutanese citizens,” said the Council deputy chairperson, Sonam Kinga.
He said it also stated that if the child is compelled to return to Bhutan owing to various circumstances, the child will have the right to citizenship.
“Now, once a Bhutanese child has been adopted by foreign parents, the Bill states that even the biological parents of the child ceases to be his/her parents since the parent adopting the child becomes the parent,” he said, if the section is retained, it implies that a child is still a Bhutanese citizen although he/she has been adopted by foreign parents and would have assumed foreign citizenship.
He added that dual citizenship is not foreseen by our Constitution and citizenship by naturalization is also not a right but a kidu, like land or other kidu that His Majesty the King may grant in the exercise of his royal prerogatives.
“However, the deletion of this section does not imply that the child cannot return to or travel in Bhutan. Like all other visitors and travelers, the child can visit albeit as a national of a foreign country. This issue however, need not be reflected in the Adoption Bill but were rather better addressed in rules of relevant agencies such as Department of Immigration and Foreign Ministry.”
If the child is returning due to unavoidable circumstances, he/she can apply for kidu of citizenship through naturalization, he said.
Therefore, in order to avoid the country from facing unnecessary crises with regard to child adoption in future, the NC removed section 58 of the adoption Bill.
Child Adoption Bill of Bhutan has it that a Bhutanese Citizen, at least 30 years of age, can apply for adoption if the person is married, is of good moral character, is financially secure and capable of support, and care for child and is not convicted of a felony crime.
Meanwhile a single Bhutanese person can adopt a child, if the person is found suitable and agreeable to the conditions specified by the Competent Authority.
The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) will be the Competent Authority who will provide adoption services of all nature with respect to a child, and may accredit Civil Society Organization to provide adoption services.
The Bill also states that a child born to Bhutanese mother or a child that the competent authority has taken cognizance of being in difficult circumstances can be adopted.
Regarding the inter-country adoption, the Bill says that a foreign national belonging to a country with whom Bhutan has diplomatic relation can adopt a child, if the person is at least 30 years of age at the time of filing an application for adoption and is married, and should not have more than 3 children biological or otherwise.
The person should also have the capacity to act and assume all rights and responsibilities of parental authority under ones national laws.
He/she should be capable of paying adoption and other fees, should be in a position to provide proper care and support and to give necessary moral values to the child adopted, and should undertake to provide inheritance to the adopted child, and should not be convicted of a felony crime.
If the non-national person is single and found suitable and agreeable to the conditions specified by the competent authority, the person can adopt Bhutanese child.
However, in case of a Bhutanese citizen adopting a foreign child, the child should be below 18 years of age and should be a citizen of a country with whom Bhutan has diplomatic relations.
All parties to the adoption whether domestic or inter-country should be present during the court hearing, and the hearing and the reading of a court order concerning adoption of children will be made in camera.
The Bill also has it that an adoption order made by the court gives sole parental care and responsibility for a child to the adoptive parent named in the order and the child becomes the child of the adoptive parent.
It says that the adopted child has the same rights in relation to the adoptive parent, as a child born to the adoptive parent, and the adoptive parent has the same parental care and responsibility as the parent of a child born to the adoptive parent.
In case of inter country adoption, citizenship of the country to which the child is adopted will be granted only upon successful completion of all the formalities that may be required by the national law of that country.
An inter-country adoption may be considered only as an alternative means for a child, for whom a suitable adoptive parent cannot be found in the country.
It will be the State policy to safeguard and prevent the child from unnecessary separation from biological parents.
Measures necessary for the protection of child’s interest including child’s ethnic, religion, cultural and linguistic background of every adoption will be ensured, says the Bill.
A person will be charged guilty of false statement, if the person whether orally or in writing gives a false statement knowingly for the purposes of, or in connection with a proposed adoption or any other matter under this Act.
Similarly, a person will be guilty of impersonation, if the person impersonates in the adoption process.

Recent pay raise is the highest raise so far

The government has declared 20 percent pay raise for the country’s civil servants from January, this year.
The increase comes almost two years after the last 35 percent pay hike in January 2009 which altogether makes up a 55 percent pay increase over the period.
The proposed raise based on the pay commission’s recommendation is expected to cost the government about Nu 627 million a year in total.
It is observed that the members of the Parliament (MPS) are the bigger beneficiaries from the revision, as their raise jumped by about 35 percent. The MPs will draw Nu 55,490 a month with the recent increase.
The pay scale of secretaries to the government and the members of the Parliament have been fixed at par with the drangpons of High Court.
As the cabinet secretary is considered the highest ranking secretary, a separate scale is proposed for the post, at Nu 63,000 without any allowances while the current pay is Nu 45,860.
The pay scales of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the deputy chairperson of National Council will rise from Nu 42,000 to Nu 63,000.
The pay commission had recommended Nu 1,80,000 for Prime Minister and Nu 1,30,000 for ministers which was declined.
Therefore, the pay scale for the Prime Minister, Speaker of the NA, Chairperson of the National Council, Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Leader and the Chief Justice of Bhutan remains unchanged.

During the session, works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said that although civil servants deserved more, that was all the government could arrive at with the country’s current financial constraints.
He also said that it was essential to raise pays since most civil servants are leaving for better offers abroad and for few private and corporate firms within the country.
He also talked about the potential people, who were interested to partake in politics, when the process began but were discouraged for lack of attractive incentives.
He said that it could repeat in future elections, also adding that the ministers today were all united under one oath of sending the roots of democracy deep and caring for the welfare of its people.
Similarly, the economic affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk clarified such salary structure be proposed in 2013, so more people would participate in politics and take up ministerial posts as well.
According to the finance minister, Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu, the substantial rises in the cost of living in recent years and the hardships faced by the civil servants have made the government to revise their salaries.
He also added that the Pay Commission had completed its work and submitted its report to the government in August 2008, but the global financial crisis beginning and the impact of the crisis on the Bhutanese economy looming large, the government could not carry out the recommendations fully.
Accordingly, the pay was increased by an across-the-board 35% for the civil service with certain allowances for certain categories of employees, he said.
Presenting a case for an across the board salary raise by 20%, the finance minister informed the NA that Bhutan’s economy grew 6.7% in the financial year 2009-2010 and 6.2% in 2008-2009.
The growth forecast for 2010-11 and beyond was higher with the coming up of several hydro-power projects.
The finance minister added that the fiscal year 2008-2009 closed with a surplus equivalent to 1.8% of the GDP which is expected to be higher at 2.5% in 2009-2010.
A deficit of 6.28% of the GDP was estimated for the current financial year but the situation is expected to improve, he said, adding that the ratio of debt to GDP was 59.6% in 2008-2009 and 55% in 2009-2010.