Honorable Lyonpo

This week a senior journalist with this paper went to interview the Foreign Minister Dasho Dr Tandi Dorji on an issue that pertains to his ministry.

The minister who said he was busy agreed to give five minutes to the journalist, but did not have any concrete answers to the questions of the journalist and instead asked why the reporter was taking up the story.

The minister who was not happy that the senior journalist had come to his office without an official appointment proceeded to berate the journalist for coming without an appointment.

He accused the journalist who he knows very well of committing a ‘security breach’ of coming withouth an appointment, even though the journalist had followed proper security checks.

The minister was extremely rude and intimidating in his behavior with the senior journalist even though the minister had agreed to grant five minutes for the interview. This paper will not go into the details in the interest of the dignity of both the minister and the journalist.

Lyonpo could have easily asked the reporter to come some other time, but had instead agreed to proceed with the interview.

The minister while berating the senior journalist asked why the journalist did not call in advance.

The journalist would have called, but the minister in the past rudely made it clear to the same journalist over the phone to not call when he is busy and to message requesting permission to call first. Such messages went ignored at times.

Ironically, the Foreign Minister is also the official government spokesperson.

It is well known that access to information is becoming a growing problem, but the only bright spot was that cabinet ministers were still largely open to the media.

However, when the official government spokesperson at such a high level displays such a hostile attitude to a journalist then one must ask if this is the stance of the government.

In Bhutanese culture and society there is a great deal of respect given to senior post holders, but this does not mean they have the right to denigrate the dignity of ordinary citizens trying to do their job, just because they don’t like the questions or are not in a good mood.

Journalists and all citizens not only have the right to access public offices whose upkeep is done by public tax money, but they also have a right to be treated with basic dignity and respect.

There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.–Henri Frederic Amiel