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A
Digital Divide?
In a letter to the editor, a Bhutanese citizen argues that
the government and private information technology agencies
need to improve Internet accessibility to all people. (Kuensel,
June 9, 2001)
Cable
TV: Hard Times?
Cable operators complain about exploitation on the part
of foreign channel providers, who increase rates arbitrarily.
The article explains that cable operators like Rinzy Dorji
want media laws to protect themselves. (Kuensel, August
10, 2001)
Internet
in Official Communication
Civil servants working in the remote dzongkhags,
or political districts, begin to participate in an Information
Technology workshop. (Kuensel, April 9, 2002)
BBS:
The Rough Road Ahead
Forced to compete with dozens of foreign cable-TV channels,
the local Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) struggles
to sustain itself economically and improve its quality
and content. (Kuensel, June 9, 2001)
Excerpt
from No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies
Naomi Klein's recent study of modern consumption and "branding"
has implications for Bhutan's new exposure to global advertising.
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While
Bhutan has been cited in the news media for being the last
place in the world to legalize television, the nation has
also made headlines for its decade-old dispute with Nepal
concerning Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese descent.
"Nepali
Bhutanese," who comprise about a third of Bhutan's population,
descend from Nepalese immigrants who settled in Bhutan
in the late 19th century. Although this mostly Hindu group
was granted citizenship in 1958, Bhutan's government changed
its citizenship laws in the late 1980s, dubbing the Nepali
Bhutanese illegal immigrants.
In 1990 the Bhutanese government expelled 100,000 Nepali
Bhutanese, forcing them to flee to refugee camps in eastern
Nepal managed by the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR). After years of deadlocked negotiations,
the governments of Bhutan and Nepal agreed in 2001 to
verify the identities of the refugees by family lineage,
but the Bhutanese government has not given any indication
of when these families may return to Bhutan.
U.S.
State Department Report on Human Rights Practices - 2001
This March 4, 2002 report cites the Bhutanese government's
restrictions on its citizens' right to privacy, freedom
of speech, press, assembly, and religion. The study also
notes that the governments of Bhutan and Nepal continue
to negotiate on procedures for the repatriation of ethnic
Nepali in the refugee camps.
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1950, this
non-political organization aims to protect refugees around
the world. Use the UNHCR online search engine to read
articles about the crisis of the Bhutanese refugees of
Nepali descent.
Human
Rights Watch World Report 2002
This report notes that 100,000 Bhutanese refugees spent their tenth year in camps in southeast Nepal. Human Rights Watch cites slow progress on the part of both governments in determining the status of these refugees and returning them home. Though not specific to Bhutan, the report does mention Bhutan with respect to its human rights violations.
Bhutan
News Online: Bhutanese Refugees
Bhutan's first private online news magazine features a
section devoted exclusively to articles, reports and background
information regarding Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.
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Kuensel
Bhutan's only printed newspaper, Kuensel also has
a Web site that features news, links, and information about
the country.
Bhutan
News Online
Bhutan's first private online news magazine features Web-based
news, background information on Bhutan, and links to South
Asian newspapers
DrukNet
is Bhutan's only Internet Service Provider
Bhutan
also receives Indian newspapers, but because of its remote
location and lack of daily air service, the newspapers
are transported by land and arrive a day late:
The
Indian Express
The
Telegraph
The
Hindu
The
Times of India
The
Hindustan Times
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