Page 7 - BHUTAN 2007

king and his optimistic father because they have already demonstrated their
excellent governance and their concern for the Bhutanese people. He is

pleased that the newly crowned king will initially have greater power than in

a traditional constitutional monarchy because he believes that it is right that

the complete transition should take place gradually.

In most of his talks with us about the government, Kelzang described the

kings of the country as rulers with the good of the people always at heart.
He approved the government’s avuncular role (maybe even paternalistic) in

creating laws that protect the people from mistakes and harm, such as

forbidding the housing of livestock on the lower floor of their homes as was

the practice in the past and in forbidding the top attic floor being used as a

hayloft because of fire risk. He liked the fact that government requires
childhood vaccinations (as well as paying for them) to prevent disease in the

population. He was very much in favor of the government control of logging

in the country, for the preservation of the virgin forests and the valuable

trees for all the Bhutanese. He was much in accord with the king’s

requirement that all returning students who have been studying in other
countries participate in a reorientation program so that they will not forget

the traditions and practices of their own country. He even professed himself

to be comfortable with the royal decree that Bhutanese men and women

wear their national dress when acting as representatives of the country,

even in casual ways. Probably his view is shared by most of the people who
will feel more confident if the king continues to make the big decisions that

affect the welfare of his people—their Gross National Happiness—at least

for a while longer.

We had 10 days to explore this happy and beautiful country and we wanted

to see everything possible during that time. We climbed to monasteries

sitting out on rocky precipices, struggled spraddle-legged across many

swinging bridges, climbed awkward stiles, removed our shoes to enter