[Buddha-l] Re: Bhutan & happiness (Michael LaTorra)

[Hans Gijsen]

Michael LaTorra wrote: >GIH is inspired by the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) proposed by the King 
>of Bhutan, which puts the well being of individuals on top of the national development agenda. >Rooted in Buddhist philosophy and values, GIH presents a radically different
>development paradigm, but one that holds a promise for achieving real sustainability.Bhutan has managed to put up a very positive image based on the concept of Gross National Happiness and Buddhism. And the Buddhist Media and many Buddhist organisations in the west focus attention to this positive side of Bhutan  (e.g. the Dutch Buddhist Media - www.boeddhistischeomroep.nl - and the Buddhist Channel TV - www.buddhistchannel.tv).  Until november 2006 I also had a very positive image of Bhutan. But alas, the truth is more bitter then you can imagine. Since 1990 some 107.000 refugees are living in 7 refugees camps in Nepal. Many reports have been published by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, US Department of State, Asian Human Rights Commission, Jesuit Refugee Service, Global Human Rights Defence, Asian Centre for Human Rights, Europese Union, Centre for Victims of Torture and The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of the most recent publications is from Human Rights Watch:hrw.org/reports/2007/bhutan0507/ From the Asian Centre of Human Rights report we can read on page 18:www.achrweb.org/reports/saarcar2006Bhutan, the country which coined
infamous “Gross National Happiness”,
ironically failed to take any measures in
2005 for the return of its subjects, who
have been languishing in “Gross Sadness”
for the last one and half decade in Nepal!
  Some indepth journalism is to be found on the site of Open Democracy:Bhutan's outsiders in limbo, by Charlie Devereux 
www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/bhutan_3464.jsp
China and Bhutan: crushing dissent, by Meenakshi Ganguly
www.opendemocracy.net/democracy_power/politics_protest/bhutan_tibet
 
 
Some thousands of the Bhutanese refugees have been tortured.
Research by Prof Joop de Jong and others can be found in the American Journal of Psychiatry and the Archives of General Psychiatry:
ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/160/11/2032
archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/search?fulltext=Bhutan
 
Let us face the truth about happiness and so called buddhism-based politics in Bhutan!
 
Hans Gijsen