Ram Karki
As the world celebrates the arrival of the New Year 2024, 35 Human Rights Watch’s verified Bhutanese political prisoners who were thrown into prisons for life sentences during the 1990s and 2008 for speaking in favour of Democracy and Human Rights in Bhutan, the country which Westerners fondly call the Kingdom of Happiness are forced to spend miserable lives in the various prisons in Bhutan mostly at Chemgang Central Prison in Thimphu and Rabuna Army Prison in Wangdi.
These brave fighters have been confined in the four walls of the jails for several decades without even getting sufficient food to eat. Forget about them getting the opportunity to celebrate any of these occasions.
Furthermore, the situation is reported to have been worse for 6 of those who are severely sick, namely Omnath Adhikari, Damber Singh Pulami, Ganga Ram Dhakal, Govinda Nirola, Nandalal Basnet and Sanman Gurung, those languishing in Chemgang Central Prison in Thimphu. The authorities are said to have denied them the proper medical treatment despite their repeated requests to be referred to the general hospital in Thimphu for their appropriate treatment.
Thus, taking this miserable situation of the Bhutanese political prisoners, especially of those sick, in mind, I would like to reiterate my appeal to His Majesty the King of Bhutan to kindly provide them with the appropriate medical treatment and ultimately free them to allow them to live a dignified life in freedom with their beloved for the rest of their life.
For a detailed report on the Bhutanese political prisoners issue, please click https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/13/bhutan-free-long-term-political-prisoners
May the coming year 2024 help bring happiness, good health, prosperity and, ultimately, freedom to all human beings, including the freedom of those Bhutanese political prisoners.
Ram Karki- Coordinator of Global Campaign for the release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) The Hague, The Netherlands.
