Bangladesh Liberation War
On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh declared her independence from Pakistan and the Liberation War started. The King of Bhutan lost no time in assuring his full support to Bangladesh and to her staunch supporter, India. During the war, 75 million people were held at gunpoint. Genocide of unparalleled proportions took place and lots of Bangladeshis were displaced from their homes. “It was our duty to condemn this grave violation of human rights," reported Bhutan’s ambassador to the National Assembly of Bhutan. "It was, therefore, with a sense of conviction that we supported the struggle of the people of Bangladesh.” Like many countries in the region, Bhutan too could have remained neutral but she chose not to. The question is, despite the odds, how did His Majesty find the courage to support Bangladesh? The answer lies in the personality and thinking of the Third King.Short tenure
The Third King had strong views on discrimination. He openly condemned the racial discrimination in apartheid-era South Africa. In Bhutan, six years after he ascended to the golden throne in 1958, he abolished slavery and made former slaves equal contributing members of society. Unusually for an absolute monarch, the King championed the principle of democracy and laid its foundations during the 20 years of his rule. A firm believer in the rule “Of the people, by the people,” his conviction in the supremacy of the people gave him the courage to show his support to the Bangladeshi cause. A year after his coronation, the King (26 years old) set up the Tshogdu or the National Assembly. For the first time, the people participated in the governance of the country. Through the public platform of the National Assembly, the King encouraged people to criticise him and his government.
High stakes
In 1971, the geopolitical situation in the region was not at its best. A decade earlier, Tibet ceased to exist as a country with its incorporation into China. Similarly, the kingdom of Sikkim in northernmost India was losing control of its own administration. To strengthen sovereignty, and with the support of India, Bhutan applied for membership of the United Nations. When the Liberation War started, Bhutan was already an observer in the United Nations. To progress towards full memebrship, Bhutan needed the support of as many countries as possible. So, when the King took his stand on the Bangladeshi issue, some of the young educated Bhutanese officers opposed it. They argued that by supporting the Bangladeshis, Bhutan was risking its membership of the UN, but such reasoning did not affect the King’s thinking on the issue. In the international arena, Bhutan’s support to Bangladesh was seen with suspicion. Some countries suspected Bhutan of having ulterior motives and that it was helping Bangladesh so that it could profit from future trade opportunities. While this wasn't the case, Bhutan did not make an effort to explain her motives. The question on the Bhutanese mind was: “What could a developing landlocked country export or gain from Bangladesh?” On the contrary, by supporting the formation of the new state of Bangladesh, Bhutan had much to lose. For example, a few weeks before Bhutan became a member of the UN in late 1971, the American Senator Charles Percy visited Bhutan. According to reports, the King refused to meet him. The report also states that the King asked his ministers not to receive him and thereby show Bhutan’s resentment against American supply of arms to Pakistan. Senator Percy admitted that this was the first such snub he had received anywhere in the world.United Nations
Bhutan became a member of the UN on September 21, 1971. As a member of the esteemed world body, Bhutan now had a vote. In the words of the Bangladesh President Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Bhutan could use it as she liked. “Small it may be, she could follow a policy of neutrality as Nepal did," said the president. "However, she chose to be with us at a time when our emergence as a power in Asia had not fully materialised.” On December 6, 1971, King Wangchuck sent his felicitation message to Syed Nazrul Islam, Acting President of Bangladesh, conveying Bhutan’s recognition of Bangladesh as a sovereign independent country. This made Bhutan the first country to recognise the newly-independent state. “It was, therefore, with a sense of conviction that we supported the struggle of the people of Bangladesh. We are happy that our government was one of the first to recognise the reality of Bangladesh,” the message said. At that time, President Chowdhury was in New York. He said that when he heard Bhutan had recognised Bangladesh as a country, he immediately went to meet Bhutan’s Ambassador to the UN Lyonpo Sangay Penjor to express his gratitude. A few months later, the king sent his foreign minster to Dhaka. During the six-day visit, the minister was warmly received. He called on seven dignitaries including the president and the prime minister of Bangladesh. In his report to the king, the foreign minister mentioned how the president extended his nation’s gratitude to the king and the people of Bhutan for the support received during their freedom movement. Because of his genuine belief in the self-determination of the people of Bangladesh and his stand against the violation of human rights, King Wangchuck risked Bhutan’s stance on the global frontier. Such an act is rare. It is doubtful if anywhere in the world such a gesture was made.Tshering Tashi is a Bhutanese writer and journalist