IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1307 

Commemorating the Kingdom of Bhutan’s participation in the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and commending the people and the Government 

of the Kingdom of Bhutan for their commitment to holding elections 

and broadening political participation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2008 

Mr. BAIRD (for himself and Mr. UPTON) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the Kingdom of Bhutan’s participation in 

the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and commending 

the people and the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan for their commitment to holding elections and broadening political participation. 

Whereas Bhutan is a nation cloistered among some of the 

highest peaks in the eastern Himalayas and has for hundreds of years served as a sanctuary for the rich and 

unique Bhutanese culture; 

Whereas Bhutan hosts some of the most pristine and biologically diverse natural environments in the modern 

world, owing to the agrarian society’s unique farming 

traditions that are rooted in a deep appreciation for the 

land and humble devotion to its protection; 


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•HRES 1307 IH 

Whereas Bhutan is participating in the 2008 Smithsonian 

Folklife Festival and sharing with the people of the 

United States many aspects of its unique culture and traditions, including its special approach towards life, described in national policy as the pursuit of ‘‘Gross National Happiness’’; 

Whereas Bhutan was only in recent decades accessible by 

road and airplane but is now sharing with people 

throughout the world its special cultural traditions that 

include 13 traditional arts, zorig chusum, monastic dancers who perform ritual dances from sacred tsechus festivals, and weavers who create some of the most coveted 

textiles in the world; 

Whereas Bhutan is transitioning to a parliamentary democracy, owing to the leadership of King Jigme Singye 

Wangchuck, who abdicated his thrown on December 14, 

2006, and his son King Jigme Khesar Namgyel 

Wangchuck, who is committed to conducting parliamentary elections; and 

Whereas King Jigme Singye Wangchuck devolved all executive authority from the throne to the cabinet in 1998, initiated the process of drafting a constitution in 2001, ordered by royal decree an end to Bhutan’s absolute monarchy and the establishment of a parliamentary democracy in 2008, and issued to the people of Bhutan a historic document, or tsathrim, stating that ‘‘Bhutan is a 

sovereign Kingdom and the Sovereign power belongs to 

the people of Bhutan’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the United States House of Rep2 resentatives— 


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•HRES 1307 IH 

1 (1) commemorates Bhutan’s participation in 

2 the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival; 

3 (2) recognizes the important cultural, artistic, 

4 agricultural, and environmental achievements of 

5 Bhutan and the Bhutanese people; 

6 (3) commends the Bhutanese people, the Gov7 ernment of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and His Maj8 esty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck for 

9 their commitment to conducting parliamentary elec10 tions and transitioning from an absolute monarchy 

11 to a parliamentary democracy; and 

12 (4) remains committed to working with Bhutan, 

13 should it so desire, to foster cultural exchange and 

14 to assist in promoting democratic reform. 

Æ 


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