[Previous entry: "Burmese Military Junta banned Naga festival Nagayouth Burma"] [Next entry: "HORNBILL FESTIVAL: As hot as it gets; as fat as pork mania NTIMES"]

12/03/2011: "Slain PM, ailing king & jittery general - How a bullet and a China buzz entwined Delhi and Thimphu in drama-a-day plot SOBHANA K The Telegraph"

Slain PM, ailing king & jittery general - How a bullet and a China buzz entwined Delhi and Thimphu in drama-a-day plot SOBHANA K The Telegraph


The Thimphu palace: Where Indian choppers kept landing and where the deputy commander-in-chief of the Bhutan army was summoned and arrested
New Delhi, On April 5, 1964, Jigmie Dorji, then Bhutanese Prime Minister, was in a pleasant mood. The new Indian envoy, then known as the political officer, had just left after a meeting with him and Dorji had no inkling of danger as he sat in a guesthouse, chatting with family and friends.
The loud bang came just as he was lighting a cigarette.
Had the lighter exploded? As the stupefied gathering gazed at the blood oozing out of Dorji’s body, it took them some time to notice the blood-soaked bullet on the table. By then, whoever had fired the shot from the window had jumped off the verandah and disappeared. Dorji died within hours. The bullet had bored into his body from the right side, just below the ribs, and come out below the lungs on the left.
It was the beginning of a series of dramatic events involving the Bhutan palace, a political family and a military chief, with India playing a key adviser’s role and at one point contemplating parachuting troops into the kingdom. If carried out, the move could have invited retaliation from China, whom many suspected to have a role in the assassination. For decades, though, accounts of the events lay tucked inside the ministry of external affairs’ files, which were recently declassified and transferred to the National Archives.
Two Indians who watched the events from close and sometimes took part in them were political officer Avtaar Singh and the first ever commander of the Indian forces in Bhutan, Brigadier B.N. Upadhyay. The alleged assassin, Zambay, was arrested three days after the murder. He apparently confessed that Bhutan’s deputy commander-in-chief, Brigadier Namgyal Bahadur, had ordered him to kill the Prime Minister.
While all of this was going on, the then King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, was away in Switzerland, being treated for a chronic heart ailment. The 36-year-old king did not know that Zambay had named Brigadier Bahadur. He sent a telegram from Switzerland saying that in his absence, the country’s administration should be handled by the assassinated Prime Minister’s younger brother, Lhendup Dorji, and the brigadier. On April 9, the king arrived in Calcutta and two days later, flew to Thimphu. Brigadier Bahadur, unaware that he had been named in Dorji’s murder, waited at the helipad to welcome the king home.
“Late in the morning, two helicopters came at a very high level, flew over the Thimphu helipad and went on towards the palace. Sometime later, one helicopter came back and landed at the helipad,” political officer Avtaar Singh wrote in a dispatch to the external affairs ministry on May 5.
The man who stepped out of the chopper was former political officer Apa Pant, probably sent by New Delhi because of his experience. “Shri Apa Pant... came out of the helicopter and very secretly told the commissioner of Thimphu that (the) king had landed at the palace,” wrote Avtaar, who was in Bhutan for the first time.
He continued: “In (a) station wagon, Apa Pant told the political officer (Avtaar himself) that the assassin Zambay had accused the deputy commander-in-chief and 14 others as well as Yankie, the king’s mistress, of Jigmie Dorji’s assassination.”
Records of Zambay’s written confession, though, do not corroborate the last bit about Yankie. The next day, an Indian helicopter brought Lhendup Dorji to the palace from somewhere in Bhutan. He left after a closed-door meeting.
By now, Brigadier Bahadur, still in the dark about Zambay’s arrest, was getting nervous. He asked Brigadier Upadhyay about the helicopter that had ferried Lhendup in, but the Indian officer was unable to provide any information. “This aroused further suspicions in the mind of Namgyal Bahadur,” Avtaar wrote. The political officer learnt that Lhendup had advised the king to send forces from the palace and reinforcements from Namseling, the Dorjis’ native place, the following day to arrest Brigadier Bahadur.
“This seemed completely stupid to the political officer and Brigadier Upadhyay, because there were only 200 men in the Palace Guards and about 50 men at Namseling compared to a fighting force of over 1,000 in the Thimphu garrison,” Avtaar wrote in his dispatch.
Then Indian foreign secretary Y.D. Gundevia, in his “Notes on Bhutan” written on May 2 that year, backed this viewpoint. “If the garrison had been really provoked by this young, hot-headed and immature Lhendup Dorji, the Dorjis might well have been wiped off the history of Bhutan for ever,” Gundevia noted.
Brigadier Upadhyay rushed to see the king and suggested an alternative. The king agreed.
“Brigadier Upadhyay advised him to call all the officers and other ranks to the parade ground for ‘a talk by His Majesty’ and told him that when the officers and other ranks go there, he himself, with his Indian officers and other ranks, would arrange to take over the armoury and ammunition dump,” Avtaar wrote. When Brigadier Upadhyay returned, he was accosted by Brigadier Bahadur about his visit to the king. The Indian “gave him a plausible account of a courtesy call”. The climax came on April 13.
“On the crucial April 13 morning, according to plan, the king sent for... Namgyal Bahadur. (Brigadier Bahadur) told Upadhyay that he had no transport. The brigadier gave him his own jeep and sent him to the palace. Brigadier Upadhyay was casually dressed in civilian clothes that morning,” Gundevia wrote.
A total of 39 army officers, including Brigadier Bahadur, were arrested and paraded in front of the ranks with their hands tied at the back. A blackout on the airwaves, under the king’s orders, meant the news could not reach India. New Delhi feared the worst.
“On April 13, when we were, quite unexpectedly, pushed into this, we seemed to be taking contrary decisions,” Gundevia wrote.
“To begin with, it was felt that we could parachute a battalion into Thimphu, which would be supported by more troops transported by road from Hashimara. We had debated that if we were forced to do this, this might provoke the Chinese into crossing the Bhutan border from Chumbi valley.”
Brigadier Bahadur was executed by a firing squad on May 17. One of the key accused, Bachu Wangdi, died on May 8 after, according to the Bhutan authorities, making a complete confession on April 26 and attempting suicide the following day. Zambay was executed by a firing squad on July 4.
Open and shut case? Gundevia didn’t think so. The suggested motives for Brigadier Bahadur — from his fears about Dorji sidelining the military old guard to a dispute over army trucks — perhaps didn’t sound adequate.
“But what was the motive for the murder? We will perhaps never know the whole truth,” Gundevia wrote.
“The Dorjis of Namseling, or rather Lhendup Dorji personally, is trying to make out that the king’s stepmother and his half brother and also the king’s Tibetan mistress Yankie were behind the assassination because they were jealous of the power of the Dorjis. The king is reluctant to accept this.”
Almost thinking aloud, he continued: “The only thing definitely known is that the late Prime Minister and the Dorji family at Namseling were against the king’s stepmother and half brother. Jigmie had also annoyed the Tibetan woman, Yankie, over her unauthorised use of some trucks. The mistress is said to have been planted on the king by the stepmother, which was looked upon as an anti-Dorji move since the Queen, Kesang La, is a Dorji, Jigmie’s sister.”
A few groups in Bhutan tried to peddle the theory that the Chinese were involved. What fuelled these rumours were the suspicions of Yankie’s involvement.
Yankie was a Tibetan but her family had migrated to Bhutan a few generations earlier. The Statesman of Calcutta carried a report under the byline of Desmond Doig that year, claiming the Chinese had a hand in the assassination.
Referring to the report, the Bhutanese court that convicted Brigadier Bahadur noted: “There is no evidence at all that any foreign power was in any way involved.... The full and the entire responsibility for this plot belongs to these accused and only to them.”
Many Indian diplomats too maintain that the Chinese were not involved.
“It was a complicated case, but it had nothing to do with the Chinese. It was an internal matter of Bhutan,” Dilip Mehta, a former ambassador to Bhutan, told The Telegraph
Nagaland Governor calls for resolving differences Correspondent Assam tribune
DIMAPUR, Dec 2 – Calling for firm commitment to resolve all differences and join hands for economic development, Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar said that with the Nagas’ strong community institutions and the spirit of working together, he saw “hope for the future.”
“I am sure, with the dedication and the good wishes of everyone, we will be able to overcome all obstacles and create a vibrant, economically strong Nagaland that the founding fathers of our State had dreamt of,” he stated while greeting the people of the State on the occasion of the Statehood Day on Thursday.
While paying rich tributes to the pioneers of the State, Kumar wished the people peace, development and prosperity. He also appreciated the efforts of law-enforcing agencies, security forces, non-governmental organisations, tribal Hohos, civil society organisations, church bodies and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and stated that it is because of their commendable efforts that the State is enjoying a peaceful atmosphere today.
The ongoing dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM has raised expectations of some accord being reached sooner or later, he stated.
However, the Governor also pointed to the increasing incidents of crime which, he said, are a cause for concern. He observed that civil society organisations in Dimapur had recently highlighted this concern and expressed determination to fight the trend. In this regard, Kumar said that the State Government is also very concerned and has resolved to firmly deal with extortion and other anti-social activities in Dimapur and elsewhere in the State. “This is a right decision because it is important that there is peace in the State if we want to have development and progress,” he said.
On development and economic growth, the Governor pointed out that funds are needed for this. However, while the Government is pursuing the State’s requirement of funds with the Centre and Planning Commission, he stressed that “we have to focus on our own assets and create an environment conducive to investment.” And here, he said, “our most valuable asset is our youth.”
Extending heartiest Statehood Day greetings, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that the State has, in the last 48 years, steadily traversed over a vast canvas of progress and development. However, during the last eight years of the DAN Government, the pace of progress has been accelerated to a level unseen in the past, he stated, while pointing to the agriculture and allied sector, empowerment of women and youth, addressing the problems of underdevelopment in the backward districts, promotion of sports and youth activities, inculcating the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst the youth and many other areas of socio-economic advancement.
“We have covered unprecedented grounds in these past eight years of the DAN ministry,” the Chief Minister said.
Further underlining that peace and development go hand in hand, Rio said that his Government has tried its best to unite all the Naga groups so as to facilitate the achievement of a durable and lasting peace in the land. He voiced happiness that there has been significant improvement in the law-and-order situation in the last 14 years of ceasefire, particularly during the last three years.
“These were all made possible by the unstinted support of the people at large, the civil society, the Hohos and the churches,” he said.
The call of the native Deccan chronicle A participants of the Hornbill Rock Contest 2006
On the rugged hills, crossed by many gushing rivers, the sub tropical rainforests add to the mystery.
It’s not just the history, it’s the stories, the folklore, the sacredness and genuinity of the existing 16 tribes — and when they all meet — the distant sound of drums gives dancers a head start and of course, something else comes to life — one that’s deeply ingrained in Naga people — Music!
“You can visit any family in Nagaland and you’ll notice a persistent trend. In most families of four, all are into some sort of music. The kids could be playing an instrument and folks will be singers. That’s how much we Naga people love music,” says Neingulie Nakhro, the event director of the Hornbill Rock Contest.
The seven day rock festival and contest begins in December, “And this time it’s a lot bigger. We’re even moving out from the older venue to accommodate more music lovers. We’ve had more than 120 entries from India and 19 from the state. We’ve kept a total slot of 20 for India and four for the state,” explains Nakhro, who enjoys playing the guitar and loves his job thoroughly.
Day one is all about authentic and traditional Naga music. “We’ll have musicians and artistes from the state perform through the day. Day two is dedicated to country and Blues. Day three is called Choral Panorama — Nagaland being predominately occupied by Christians, we want to usher Christmas by dedicating an entire day to choirs,” says Nakhro.
And then begins the rock contest, “We’ve had our panel of judges and members, also a few from the Nagaland Music Task Force, who’ve picked this year’s participants. Day six will also see a few bands from Nagaland, including OFF and Ecstasy perform.
Talking about the music industry, he says, “People still fear taking up music as a career in the state. Over the years, the government has been supportive. There are many commercial events being organised lately. A lot of efforts is being put into encouraging individual artistes to perform at commercial venues across India. This move has made it possible for artistes to actually consider music as a serious career option.”
Bengaluru band Slain emerged as a winner last year, “There is a tight competition this year too. To the residents, — These seven days are all about passion, freedom and celebration of life and of course, music — something they all hold very dear!
NTIMES 1Dec. Nagas, Kukis stick to their demands; hold rallies

Two simultaneous protests were carried out by Nagas and Kukis in Manipur Wednesday.
In Senapati district, around 5000 Nagas took part in the rally under the aegis of United Naga Council (UNC), who stuck their demand for an “Alternative Arrangement” while on the other hand around 3000 Kukis under the aegis of Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) organized rallies at Moreh and Churachandpur district reaffirming its demand for a separate Kuki state in Manipur.

“The Meitei Raja had never ruled the Nagas of Manipur. We cannot live together when you took away everything that are in our plate, therefore, the wishes of the Nagas of Manipur for an Alternative Arrangement outside GOM should be honoured,” said Committee for Alternative Arrangement (CFAA) chairman, Sword Vashum, during his public address.

The UNC rally was attended by different Naga frontal bodies including Poumai Naga Union, Mao Union, Tangkhul Naga Long, Maram Union, Thangal Union, Naga Peoples Organisation, Senapati District Women Union, Senapati District Students Association, Naga Women Union, Mao Council and ANSAM.

In his public address UNC general secretary Gaidon Kamei said that “the colonialist wanted and tried many times to crush the Nagas in different ways and means without a success and therefore, many houses burnt down, women dishonoured, crops destroyed, many tortured maimed and killed but the spirit of the Nagas could not be crushed.”

UNC president L. Adani read out the declaration of the rally and clarified that economic blockade had been lifted due to assurances given by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to the UNC in Delhi on November 22.

Further, he asserted that all Naga tribes and frontal organizations should be “in readiness to resume agitation programme in intensified measure should the same be warranted by reneged actions of the GOM notwithstanding the above assurances of the GoI.”

Meanwhile, speakers at the KSDC rally lamented that Manipur government has betrayed the Kukis by denying creation of Sadar Hills district, tribal protection under the sixth schedule and eighth schedule.

Alleging disparity in development, leaders of the KSDC said that Kuki inhabited areas was neglected in taking up developmental works and by denying proportionate representation.

KSDC said it firmly believes that a separate state for the Kukis would provide them a political identity and a constitutionally-documented institutional space and protection within the territorial boundary of India.

KSDC further said in order to guarantee the Constitutional provisions of equality, freedom, liberty and opportunity to the Kukis, it is imperative that they should govern their own affairs in their traditional lands, as a separate state of the Indian Union. KSDC urged the Centre to expedite political dialogue with Kuki undergrounds with a view to establish lasting peace. NPN

Forced Labour for Naga festival Nagayouth Burma

The Burmese Military government has informed to all the Layshi township villages units that there will be work - construct road, tourist tent, festival hall etc for the Naga Traditional New Year Festival at Layshi town before Christmas (which is going to be hold on 12th to 15th Jan 2012)

Under the name of social work without any payment or rewards in return, Naga villagers themselves have to bring their own equipments, food, medicines etc the authorities do not provide any assistance to the forced laborers.

French diplomat advises Nagaland to capitalize on cultural assets Our Correspondent


From right, Rozelle Mero, Chapter Chair- Yi, Managing Director, The People Channel Republique Francaise, Consulat General of France, Kolkata, Jean-Louis Rysto and Anjita Roychaudhury press attaché to Consulat General of France, during the interactive session at the heritage, Kohima, Nagaland.

Kohima | November 29 : Consul General of France Jean-Louis Rysto today said Nagaland has a rich culture which indeed is a huge asset for the Naga people. Consul General Jean-Louis Rysto and Press Attaché to Consulate General of France Anjita Roychaudhury are on official visit in Kohima. They are here to collect reports, exploring the North Eastern states and anticipating a trade relation that can build better relation and maintain rapport with the Government of France.
Young Indians of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s premier business association, organized an interactive session with students’ organizations, non-governmental organizations and others at The Heritage this evening.
Although the visit to Nagaland is their first, the Consul General of France and the Press Attaché, are not new to India’s North Eastern states and aware of the potential the state possesses. Jean-Louis Rysto said the north eastern states are rich in mineral oils, hydro electricity and agriculture.
After watching folk performances from a group, the Tetse-o Sisters, the Consul General urged all not to ‘lose their culture’ but rather build relation through cultural exchange. He maintained that the promotion of a State should come in the form of an effort and the media should be more aggressive pushing forward. Press Attaché Anjita said the Naga people have a ‘bigger scope’, taking advantage of their knowledge and strength in English to bridge the gap with the world.
During the interactive session, the Consul General said tourism is a two-way entry where risk has to be taken care of and urged the State to attract ‘with what we have and to make it special what is in the state.’ Tour operators can play a vital role as each state has its own beauty that has to be presented regionally, he said. There is a need to capitalize on the huge interest people have in Nagaland and her people and to bring up the capabilities of the state’s potential, Rysto said.
The duo is also scheduled to meet the Governor of Nagaland and the Chief Secretary of Nagaland tomorrow from where they will travel to Manipur and Mizoram.
It may be mentioned that Young Indians (Yi) was formed in the year 2002, with an objective of creating a platform for young Indians to realize the dream of a developed nation. Yi has over 1288 direct members in 25 city chapters. Yi has 160 members in 3 corporate chapters and engages another 12,000 members through its district chapter, Farmer Nets and Student Nets.

Clinton challenges Myanmar to expand reforms



YANGON, DEC 1 (AP): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday challenged the leaders of Myanmar to continue and expand upon recent reforms, calling for the release of all political prisoners, an end to violent campaigns against ethnic minorities and a breaking of military ties with North Korea. “We believe that any political prisoner anywhere should be released,” Clinton told reporters during the first visit to this long-isolated nation by the top U.S. diplomat in more than 50 years. “One political prisoner is one too many in our view.”
Clinton made her comments ahead of a meeting with the most famous political prisoner of all, opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released last year after two decades of on-and-off imprisonment and has said she will run in upcoming elections.
Meeting earlier with President Thein Sein and other senior government officials in the capital of Naypyidaw, Clinton offered a small package of rewards for steps it had already taken but made clear that more must be done.
“I came to assess whether the time is right for a new chapter in our shared history,” she said, adding that the U.S. was ready to further improve relations with the civilian government in the Southeast Asian nation — also known as Burma — but only if it stays on the path of democratization.
In a series of modest first steps, she announced that Washington would allow Myanmar’s participation in a U.S.-backed grouping of Mekong River countries; no longer block enhanced cooperation between the country and the International Monetary Fund; and support intensified U.N. health, microfinance and counternarcotics programs.
A senior U.S. official said Thein Sein had outlined his government’s plans for reform in a 45-minute presentation in which he acknowledged that Myanmar lacked a recent tradition of democracy and openness. He asked for U.S. help in making the transition from military to full civilian rule, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private diplomatic exchange.
Clinton replied that she was visiting because the U.S. was “encouraged by the steps that you and your government have taken to provide for your people.”
Yet, she also made clear that those steps must be consolidated and enlarged if the U.S. is to consider easing near-blanket economic sanctions that block almost all American commercial transactions with Myanmar. “While measures already taken may be unprecedented and certainly welcome, they are just a beginning,” she told reporters.
“We’re not at the point yet where we can consider lifting sanctions that we have in place because of our ongoing concerns about policies that have to be reversed,” Clinton said. “But any steps that the government takes will be carefully considered and will be matched.”
She called for the release of political prisoners and an end to brutal ethnic violence that has ravaged the nation for decades. She also warned the country’s leadership to break suspected illicit military, nuclear and ballistic missile cooperation with North Korea that may violate U.N. sanctions. “Better relations with the United States will only be possible if the entire government respects the international consensus against the spread of nuclear weapons ... and we support the government’s stated intention to sever military ties with North Korea,” she said.
In his presentation, Thein Sein vowed that Myanmar would uphold its U.N. obligations with respect to North Korea, according to the senior U.S. official. He also told Clinton that Myanmar was actively considering signing a new agreement with the U.N. nuclear watchdog that would allow unfettered inspections of atomic sites in the country, the official said.
Clinton rejected the idea that the U.S. outreach to Myanmar was partially motivated by the growing influence of China. “We are not viewing this in light of any competition with China,” she said. “We are viewing it as an opportunity for us to re-engage here.”
“We welcome positive constructive relations between China and her neighbors. We think that is in China’s interest as well as in the neighborhood’s interest,” she said.
Recalling Obama’s mention of “flickers of progress” in Myanmar when he announced that Clinton would visit the country, Clinton urged the leadership not to allow them to “be stamped out.”
“It will be up to the leaders and the people to fan flickers of progress into flames of freedom that light the path toward a better future,” she said. “That — and nothing less — is what it will take for us to turn a solitary visit into a lasting partnership.”
Before dinner with Suu Kyi, Clinton was touring the Shwedagon Pagoda, a 2,500-year-old Buddhist temple.
Despite the historic nature of Clinton’s visit, enthusiasm has been muted within Myanmar.
Chan Tun, a 91-year-old veteran politician and a retired ambassador to China, said: “This is a very critical visit because U.S. will understand Myanmar better through engagement. U.S. engagement will also help Myanmar’s dependence on China.”