The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A 39-year old, local tourist guide is under Paro police’s custody after he was arrested following a formal complaint filed by a 29 year old foreign national of Melbourne, Australia on 5 December at around 1:35 am according to which the tourist guide had assaulted and sexually harassed her in a drunken state.
The victim had flown from Bangkok on 4 December alone and was received as a tourist by the tour agency operated by the suspect.
The same night the Australian tourist had gone out for dinner accompanied by the suspect (her guide). During the course of the night out, the suspect asked if she wanted to visit bars and eventually they went out for drinks in some bars in Paro town.
The suspect was drunk while the victim was still sober and in her senses although she did consume some glasses of beer.
On their way back to the hotel room, the suspect tried to touch her body. Not feeling safe she got out of the vehicle and started to walk toward the hotel, but the suspect forcefully pulled her back to the vehicle and had pushed her several times on her chest (between chest and stomach).
Somehow the victim managed to escape from the drunken suspect and hid in the nearby bushes.
From her hiding spot she had immediately called up the police.
The suspect was arrested on the morning of 5 December from one of the hotel rooms in Paro.
The Bhutanese learnt that the suspect cliams that he ‘does not recollect what exactly happened since he was drunk during the time of the incident’.
The Paro police refused to comment on the issue.
Chencho Dema / Thimphu
Is this how our tourism industry portray our country to the outside world. Is it a new strategy of marketing? I think the council should bear some responsibility too. How could they license such operator when he doesn’t know the ABC of tourism. Acts like this not only tarnish the image of the individual but also the that of nation at large.
This man has been my guide the 7 times I have been in Bhutan and he has looked after at least 50 people I have sent to Bhutan. We have always found him to be a wonderful guide and a really good person. I don’t know what happened on this night and I am very sorry for the girl as it must have been terrible for her, but are you to all practicing Buddihists I thought you believed in forgiveness and love. Should one mistake made by this person be the ruination of his life and jail. Not in our country it wouldn’t be and I hope some common sense prevails in your country
If it happens to u or ur family member then ask for forgiveness, we will forgive him. We are also human being like u only, just becoz we r Buddhist does not mean we let crime go, may be in ur religion does.
put urself into the shoes of the poor, terrified victim and then try to practice what u preach Miss Barbara…imagine having ur daughter stranded in a strange country where the very person entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of her tries to rape her and coolly admits that he did it under the influence of alcohol and that he didn’t remember anything the next day…if wanting justice to be meted out to an individual who has tarnished the very image of the country as well as the tourism industry at the cost of just a few seconds worth of pleasure is considered the lack of common sense, we are all very content with lacking common sense…i am very much of the opinion that even you, with all your Buddhism induced thoughts will find it difficult to forgive such an embarrassing and barbaric act….please consider all these before going ballistic and making blatant comments…
hang…hang….hang….zandey dhi!
this type of things will not do by lower section of people.it is the people who backed by BOTAY AAKA. (with large diameter of cast iron at the back)
he had done willing, thinking that his money and power back by……………..
will vanish the show after some time and there after free man . lets wait and hear the family back ground.
not remembering anything is just an excuse …he clearly had intention. to sleep wit her…..his license shud be revoked and imprisoned as per CrPC…..he is bastard ,sex manic…..
Imprison as per CrPC..haha… I am hearing for the first time that a person is sentenced under procedure code.
Please give him the world,s deadliest ever punishment. What a shame on him and the company!
How can tourist ever trust Bhutanese again? He should be punished with highest possible punishment? Is he trying to blemish image of Bhutan. I hope there is possibility of him trying under treason.
His license should be revoked. Notice should be sent to all tour operators not to employ him. Incase they do in future, their license too should be revoked…
Hope he is kept under prison for years….
Publish his photo on all papers and BBS TV. Then HANG him at clock tower.
yes yes do that. few bastards are portraying extreme bad images of bhutan and people.
This will definitely dent the country’s great image as a safe destination which is so very sad.. Wonder what memories she will be carrying back to her friends and family and her expectations mismatch. Needless to say within the country it will further damage the image of the tourist guide. It beats me how this guide failed to understand that tourist was here for her pleasure and not his.
My fear is that if this is not nipped in the bud , this may not be the end. Tourism authorities must take strict action to ensure no repetition of such incidences in the future.
Such incident happens with the young Bhutanese girls everyday in the offices or villages. While I am writing this, a young girl is being sexually assaulted or raped in a far corner. It happens, the victim is traumatized emotionally and physically but expected to move on because it is accepted by the Society as a tradition. In the offices, young girls of younger ranks are the most vulnerable, officers with sick minds prey upon them. Sexually inappropriate touching happens everyday in the offices.
When it happens to a tourist, it is such a hue and cry because now country’s reputation is at stake. Wake up Everyone protect you own women folks too.
DolmaT i m sorry ru the Bhutanese or ..?
what a shame, all bhutanese are running insane on this. Which person does not like sex? Are you serious? The inner desire for every human irrespective of gender is to have sex and god did it all, where does sexual pleasure come from? Bitch be your daughter, she does not announce on Radio or advertize on newspaper but she likes the dick as wel, i like sex and all my female friends like it the most.
Watch a movie, go for trips, buy and sell , drink and smoke but where is pleasure? It’s between the thighs.
I am a female and i dont deny the fact that the is a fear, where does the fear come from? Why do we seek gender equality when we arent in centre of the gender i.e genetals.
Are we as open and kind, passionate as men are? Why do we fear, why does the society hold us back? How will world ever have gender equality when we dont open up to sex, it should be taken as a game and not crime.
I comdemn all govt laws which criminalizes sex and sexual interest, after all sex is sorce of consciousness.
Why do we worship phallus at home as bhutanese if we fear to derive pleasure of having united the phallus with our hole?
Why dont women say what she feels to do with a tall dark and handsome? Why should men make all efforts when the pleasure is equal, or even more for female.
Stop being hypocrites, dont make laws to discriminate genders and claim for gender equality. There are few girls who force men to have sex with them, but do men say that is sexual harrassment and chargesheet them? No, they rather thank us, and appreciate our boldness. When will women realize this? Shame on everyone who deny the pleasure from between the thighs.