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

Bhutan's Dragon King Weds Student in Traditional Ceremony
Bhutan's 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk marries 21-year-old student Jetsun Pema at an ancient monastic fortress in a traditional ceremony in the isolated Himalayan nation.

Read the short article here | Thursday, October 13, 2011
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King of Bhutan Marries Commoner Bride

THE INDEPENDENT: The fifth Dragon King came down from his golden throne to place a silk crown upon the head of his bride. Monks chanted in celebration and she took her seat beside him this morning to become the new queen of the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan.

The wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck to his commoner bride, Jetsun Pema, has captivated a nation that had grown impatient with their 31-year-old bachelor king's lack of urgency to take a wife and start a family since his father retired and handed power to him five years ago.

Thousands of Bhutanese from the surrounding villages joined the king and queen at their wedding reception at a fairground outside the country's most sacred monastery fortress, where a slate of dancers performed traditional routines for the new couple.

"I have longed for this celebration, and here it is," said Pema Gyeltshen, a nearby villager, as he watched the dancing.

When the king, who has a reputation as a down-to-earth and accessible leader, was asked how it felt to be married, he asked his questioner if she was married. When she said no, he responded: "It's great; you should try it yourself." » | AP | Thursday, October 13, 2011

BOSTON.COM: Bhutan Crowns a New King » | Friday, November 07, 2008

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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
THE INDEPENDENT: Last month, a new monarch was crowned in the secretive Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The writer Stanley Johnson was one of a tiny handful of Westerners to receive an invitation. But first he had to get there ... Road to Shangri-la: Stanley Johnson Witnesses the Coronation of Bhutan's New King >>> | December 6, 2008