Thunder Dragon cracks down on communists

Kathmandu, June 23:

Bhutan police apprehended 30 persons in Samtse of Bhutan, including three students, over the last one month accusing them of joining the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) based in Jhapa.

According to the kuenselonline.com, Bhutan’s official online website, they were allegedly engaged in meetings to recruit people and collect donations to finance subversive activities.

“Their plans were to create awareness of the communist ideology and provide arms and explosives related training in order to resume an armed rebellion against the Druk government,” the website reported.

Quoting the Bhutan police, it said they had established the Bhutan Tiger Force, the militant wing of the Communist Party of Bhutan, which carried out the recent bombings in Phuentsholing, a bordering town of Bhutan.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan said the ministry

was deeply concerned over the developments in Samtse and those arrested would be prosecuted in accordance with the existing laws.