The Bhutanese Leading the way.
On 6th August, 2024 a 31-year-old man, who had been a student in the Japan Lean and Earn (LEP) program and suffered personally and financially due to it committed suicide.
His parents shared that after his decision to go to Japan for the program, he was never the same old self. Having to pay back the loan amount of Nu. 700,000 back home, difficulty in learning Japanese language and earning with only one part time job had him totally strained.
The deceased had decided to go to Japan for the LEP in 2018, despite the parent’s worry and persuasion not to go. He had already been influenced by his friends and the agency Bhutan Employment Overseas (BEO) promises.
However, during his stay in Japan, he would contact his parents and share how difficult life was there. Since he was not able to consistently pay the loan nor the tuition fees, he decided to come back during COVID times. He couldn’t even afford the flight ticket back, so the parents had to send half of the ticket amount.
He then opened a small business which was not working as planned. By the time half of the loan amount was already paid and only half was remaining. With no income to pay back the remaining loan, they borrowed the remaining amount from his younger brother who was working in a middle eastern country.
The remaining loan amount which was fully paid in 2023, finally relieved the family. However, in the month of August, the bank messaged them to pay the installment amount. The family was surprised to see that though after the full payment of the loan amount, they still owed the bank. After verifying with the bank, they came to know that the balance amount was of the interest which was somehow overlooked.
The mother advised her son that he will have to look for other jobs as their small business was not much of a help with the additional burden of the remaining loan. He even responded saying that he would look for small jobs such as marketing as he did not have much qualifications.
The mother shared that the loan repayment stress and his unemployment were major contributing factors for her son’s suicide. For instance, the deceased in conversations with his friends sadly told them that he was not able to provide and support his elderly parents and he rather made them provide for him and this is a burden.
Their son’s condition got worse after that and he even started acting aggressive and shouting while in conversation with the family members. He would rarely talk and would get frustrated upon being advised to look for jobs. At times, he kept silent and slept throughout the day.
Thimphu police during interrogations, learnt that the deceased would lock himself and worry his parents and that he used to grieve saying he was jobless and thereby useless.
During the time of the incident, the deceased’s parents were not home.
In the course of the investigation, foul play was ruled out. Only hanging marks were discovered by the forensic team.
While a number of factors led to the suicide it is clear that the mental and financial stress of the Japan LEP program played a major role.
The controversial Japan LEP saw 3 deaths, 30 TB cases, 2 paralysis cases, 2 mental breakdowns and many traumatized youths coming back.
Most of the parents of the students said that the children that have come back from Japan are not the same.
Around 700 youths were sent to Japan for the LEP from 2017 by Bhutan Employment Overseas (BEO).
The Supreme Court on 12th February 2024 upheld the judgment of the High Court in the Japan Learn and Earn (LEP) program where the owners of the Bhutan Employment Overseas (BEO) Tenzin Rigden and Jurmey Tshewang, were sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in jail for forging bank balance statements.
In the ACC case the Thimphu District court on March 2023 convicted the former Labour Director General Sherab Tenzin for Omission amounting to an abuse of functions under the ACC Act section 59(1).
This is because in spite of the Bhutan Employment Overseas (BEO) agency not having the required documents to register the DoEHR sent a recommendation to the Ministry of Economic Affairs to issue it a license. The agency was also given a registration. The former DG did not appeal.
Despite the above cases the many parents and victims of the Japan LEP case feel that complete justice has not been done.
Starting from 2017 the BEO sent around 700 Bhutanese youth under a scheme where they had to each take a Nu 700,000 loan to cover airfare, visa fees, service fees, initial fees etc.
According to parents and students at the time BEO promised that students can easily pay back the loans working up to two jobs, learn Japanese and then get full employment on finishing the two-year course.
The reality was quite different and The Bhutanese did a series of investigative stories exposing how students were getting exploited unable to study or make enough money to repay the loan and this resulted in poor sleep, poor diet, health issue and mental health issues.
When they highlighted their conditions in complaints to the Labour Department the DG backed BEO and no serious investigation was done.
When the students went on social media to highlight their plight they were threatened by BEO and its partners of consequences and they were forced to remove their posts and comments.
Around 300 students came back saddled with loans and many more came back later. Around 500 signed power of attorneys to sue BEO.
Most of the 700 students were unable to pay the Nu 700,000 loans and a Royal Kidu pardoned the interest component.
