Denmark-Bhutan Relation:Where West meets East for Gross National Happiness in South Asia(Part-II)
Apart from Denmark’s close partnership with Bhutan in developing basic educational infrastructure, the Nordic nation’s development arm - DANIDA is deeply involved in developing Bhutan’s telecom infrastructure of higher education sector through partnership with recently established Royal University of Bhutan. The Royal University of Bhutan was established on 2nd June 2003 coinciding with the commemoration of the Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, to achieve educational vision 2020, as a ‘centre of excellence’ institution, which could meet national and wider international needs. And DANIDA’s role is to provide support to the establishment of the Royal University of Bhutan’s wide area network for connecting all the member institutes with each other and the office of the Vice Chancellor. However besides DANIDA, other nations like – India, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan and international institutions like – UNDP, ILO, ADB, EU, WHO, UNESCO, and UNFPA are also involved in partnership with the Royal University of Bhutan in different fields. And new challenges are emerging for DANIDA, from new players and partners of RUB’s information technology support nations like - Singapore’s – Singapore International Foundation, Canada’s – Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC) and School of International Learning from USA.
Cooperation in Telecom Infrastructure Development:
In addition to ICT support to RUB, Denmark also supports Bumthang based - Ugyen Wangchuck Institute of Environmental and Forestry studies with a contribution of DKK 4.0 million for curriculum development, training of staffs and for the establishment of library to realize the dream to make it as a fully functional environmental and forestry institution.[i]
It is important to note that, in December 2004, Denmark’s Alcatel has got the contract of developing microwave radio and wireless IP telephony to connect remote villages of Bhutan with rest of the world. And with this project, Denmark got the credit of bringing wireless telephony to Bhutan as part of the Danida-funded project valued around DKK 110 million.[ii] Denmark’s Alcatel entered into the job of connecting 2,544 rural lines (minimum of ten lines in each Geog) in the land of Thunderbolt.[iii] The task was to replace the existing east-west transmission backbone of 34 megabits PDH microwave system with a new system of additional capacity as well as to upgrade the exchange capacity requirements by installing three new modern switching systems in Kanglung, Trashigang, Wangdue-phodrang, and Damphu, Tsirang stations. According to Bhutan’s national daily Kuensel reports, the project agreement had been signed under DANIDA’s soft loan channel called the mixed credit scheme, at the cost of 16.061 million Euros (approximately Nu. 950 million). In which, fifty percent will be a grant and fifty percent will be a loan. And the other contracting agency- Bhutan Telecom would be required to repay 13.008 million Euros, after interest to DANIDA over a period of 10 years in bi-annual installments after the completion of the project and through it, a total of eighty-eight “Geogs” in Bhutan will receive telephone and internet connections.[iv] Apart from bringing wireless telephony to Bhutan, the Danish government has also provided financial support of Nu.2.2 million to make Bhutan’s national daily – “Kuensel” go online. By bringing Kuensel online, Denmark truly made a bridge between the Himalayan kingdom and the world, smoothening the way for the philosophy of Gross National Happiness to disseminate across the globe. It also made a history in establishing, the first free media in Bhutan, facilitating vibrant discussions on current issues with participation from Bhutanese studying abroad as well as foreigners.[v]
However, the recent proposal made by the newly appointed Singapore’s first ambassador- Mr Calvin Eu Moon Hu, that, the Lion nation is more interested in furtherance of educational sector in Druk Yul possesses new challenges for Denmark’s existing educational collaboration with Bhutan. And in future, Denmark needs to come up with new proposals to collaborate their well developed reputed Copenhagen and Aarhus University with the Royal University of Bhutan to meet competitions emerging from Singapore, Canada and the United States of America to fulfill objectivity of achieving Gross National Happiness in South Asia.
Danish support to upgrade judicial infrastructure in Bhutan:
On 19th of October 2004, Danida and the Department of Debt and Aid Management, ministry of finance of Bhutan signed an agreement of Danish support of Nu 23 million, which included construction of the building of Samtse court as well to develop an integrated web based judicial management system linking the high court with all the 20 district courts.[vi] And a month later on 24th November 2004, the foundation stone for Samtse dzongkhag’s new court building was laid in a traditional ceremony by the Chief Justice of Bhutan, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye and then Danish ambassador to Bhutan Mr Michael Sternburg. The chief Justice of Bhutan Mr. Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, acknowledging the support of Denmark said that, “The judiciary with the assistance of Denmark will try to change this erroneous belief and make courts a majestic temple of justice.” Earlier DANIDA had also assisted Bhutan in developing construction of the dungkhag court building in Phuentsholing at the cost of Nu 16 million. And, according to then programme officer of the liaison office of Denmark to Bhutan, Mr T B Chhetri, in the year alone in 2004, till the month of November, Denmark had allocated DKK 65 million in its bilateral development assistance programme to Bhutan.[vii]
Danish engagement in Health infrastructure of Bhutan:
Like intensive cooperation in developing judicial infrastructure of Bhutan, Denmark is also closely engaged in developing Bhutan’s health sector infrastructure. In January 2005, Denmark financed the construction of fifty bed new hospital building at Phuentsholing, originally built in 1972 as a twenty bed hospital. And first time a well developed modern clinical laboratory with two operation theatres, a casualty department and several other diagnostic facilities had been planned for new Phuentsholing hospital under Danish support.[viii] Apart from funding new building of Phuentsholing hospital with all of its functional equipments, Denmark also financed the construction of Department of Health Headquarter building with all the modern facility like - Floor heating system, under ground parking, thermo glazing and elevator; which was inaugurated on 14th February 2005 by Bhutan’s Finance Minister Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu and Minister Counsellor of the Liaison Office of Denmark Mr. Torben Bellers and attended by Bhutan’s Health Minister Lyonpo Jigme Singye, Labour and Human Resources minister Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, Assembly Speaker Dasho Ugen Dorji and Auditor General Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.[ix] In addition to development of hospitals in Bhutan, in recent years, the Danish government has been also involved in establishing water treatment plant at Thimphu to meet growing population’s need of potable water. And in October 2005, a water treatment plant in Jungshina, Thimphu (construction began in 2002 with DANIDA’s funding) was started with DANIDA’s support to supply water to extended areas like Langjupakha, Changzamtog, Changbangdu, Hejo, Samteling, and northern parts of Zilukha While inaugurating the Junshina water plant, the works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji, expressed his gratitude to the Danish government for the treatment plant, which has been built at a time when the Thimphu municipality was faced with consistent problem of water scarcity and limited coverage.[x]
According to the official documents of government of Denmark, from 1990 onwards, Danish development agency - Danida has provided two major grants to the health sector of Bhutan - (a) between 1990-1997, it provided DKK 74.6 million (10.6 million Euros) and (b) from 1997 to 2002, it provided DKK 120million (17.1 million Euros). And in next phase, an additional DKK 44.5 million (6.3 million Euros) was provided between 1999 to 2005, for the Rural Water and Sanitation programme through which Junshina water plant was established in Thimphu.[xi]
Bhutan’s emerging closeness to Denmark could be assessed from the fact, that, when Himalayan kingdom’s foreign minister – Mr. Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk was attending, United Nations General Assembly plenary meeting in September 2005, he chose specially to meet Denmark’s minister for Development Cooperation - Mrs. Ulla Tornaes, besides meeting foreign minister of Nepal and assistant secretary of state for South Asia of USA, Ms. Christina Rocca.[xii] The 2005 UN General Assembly plenary meeting was important for Bhutan’s interaction with UN, because in this UN meeting; Bhutan signed the UN Convention Against Corruption, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, as well as made a call to the world community to reflect on Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
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ENDNOTES:
[i] Marie Thesbjerg, (Trainee, Danida, Bhutan) paper, Great Diversity in Cooperation of Denmark and Bhutan, DANIDA, Thimphu, Bhutan, December 2005.
[ii] Danes bring wireless telephony to Bhutan, The Copenhagen Post, Copenhagen, Denmark, 03 December 2004.
[iii] Telecom project to provide 2,544 rural lines, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 2 December 2004.
[iv] Karma Choden, Telecom infrastructure for 2544 subscribers in 88 more geogs, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 4 December 2004.
[v] Minor Projects, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Liaison office of Denmark document, Thimphu. 9 August 2006.
[vi] DANIDA support to judiciary, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 20 October 2004.
[vii] Tashi Dorji, Samtse court foundation stone laid, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 30 November 2004.
[viii] Tashi Dorji, Phuentsholing to get new hospital, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 18 January 2005.
[ix] Health headquarter building inaugurated, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 14 February 2005.
[x] Ugyen Penjore, Thimphu gets a second water treatment plant, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 22 October 2005.
[xi] Health Sector Programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Liaison office of Denmark document, Thimphu. 8 August 2006.
[xii] Foreign minister addresses plenary UN meeting, Kuensel, Bhutan’s National Daily, Thimphu, 18 September 2005.
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