Smokers Hope Bhutan's Young King Will Give Them a Break

THE INDEPENDENT: Activists in Bhutan are hoping their young king – a man known for his fondness for the occasional cigarette – will enter a controversy that has gripped the country and use royal powers to free a number of people sent to jail after being convicted under tough anti-smoking legislation.

Earlier this year, the authorities in the Himalayan kingdom famed for both its natural beauty and its adoption of the principle of gross national happiness (GNH), found themselves in the middle of a row after a Buddhist monk was jailed for three years after being convicted of failing to pay duty on £2 worth of chewing tobacco. 23-year-old Sonam Tshering, who was carrying sachets of the tobacco in his pocket, was jailed even though he said he was unaware of the anti-smuggling law.

Since then, dozens more have been arrested and up to ten people imprisoned, triggering a campaign against the law that has forced the government to reconsider. Yet, even if the legislation is changed it is unclear what will happen to those people already behind bars[.]

Campaigners say a pardon from King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who was crowned in 2008, is their only hope. “We are hopeful that he will [give a pardon]", said Kinley Tshering, one of the campaigners. » | Andrew Buncombe | Friday, December 16, 2011

Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan:
The Most Colourful Coronation in the World?
The newly –crowned King of Bhutan in the Himalayas: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Photo courtesy of The Independent
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