Shocking sex abuse in idyllic Bhutan

The former king with a subject and her baby trying to set an example for the public.

NEW DELHI (RNS/HP) - The government commissioner charged with promoting "Gross National Happiness" in the tiny Buddhist nation of Bhutan said he was deeply dismayed by a recent study that found a majority of Bhutanese women think their husbands have the right to beat them. Karma Tshiteem, head of Bhutan's Commission for Gross National Happiness, called the findings "surprising" and "shocking," and said such attitudes are "totally inconsistent" with Buddhist teachings.The survey by Bhutan's National Statistics Bureau found that roughly 70 percent of women say they deserved beating if they neglect children, argue with their partners, refuse sex, or burn dinner, reported the Business Bhutan newspaper. More>>

COMMENTARY

The Bhutanese government, both the former dynasty and the newly installed leadership, has much to answer for. In addition to the forced relocation and possible genocide of Bhutanese of Nepalese descent, a new report shows another shocking finding in what was until recently the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom. (Too hard to believe? If Tibetans were serfs under an oligarchical "god-king" and his priestly minister in a Vatican-like system espousing Mahayana Buddhism, why not systematic sexism in a neighboring mountain kingdom?)