REDS ABSOLVED IN BHUTAN PLOT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66B00403R000200090017-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: May 18, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

approved For` Release 20 5/(1/05 : CIA-RDP66B004ftRD00200090017-1
A 4 n 4drn
INTERPRETIVE REPORT'
eds Absolved an Bhutan Plot
By RICHARD CRITCHFIELD
Asian Correspondent of The Star
NEW. DELHI, May 18.-The
anese premier is slowly becom-
ing unravelled.
Yesterday, . B r I g. Bahadur
Namgyal, former head of the
Bhutanese army, was executed
by a firing squad for being
involved in the assassination
April 5?of Premier Jigme Dorji.
Enough is now known here by
diplomatic sources to discount
any direct Red Chinese Involve-
ment In the slayiftg?of Mr. Dorji,
44, Bhutan's pro-Indian premier.
'Instead, most observers here
place Mr. Dorji's death within
the pattern of clan murders and
,palace Intrigues that have oc-
curred almost. continuously in
,the, Eastern 'Himalayan moun-
tain kingdom -the past two cen-
turies.
So far between 30 and 65
Bhutanese have been arrested
for plotting Mr. Dorji's as-
isassination and a military
coup ; to take over control of.
Bhutan: Most of the arrested
!men .represented traditionalist
forces who resented the late
Premier's attempts to modern-
Ize Bhutan with, India's help..
Reports Disproved
Suspicions that Peking may
have engineered Mr. Dorji's
!murder' gained currency here
!after . an; official Indian foreign
minitry-. spokesman told report.
'ers?`the'alleged assassin, Jam-
by, a ion of the palace -cook,
had'been a Chinese prisoner of Since.1961, India has loaned
war, during the Sino-Indian
border conflict of 1962.
This was later denied by
army sources. The spokesman
also reminded reporters China
had laid claim to Bhutan as one
of the five fingers of her Tibet-
an hand.
Before this fresh Chinse scare
gained momentum, Prime Min-
ister Nehru Intervened. He is
known to be concerned over
foreign skepticism that India
has too often cried wolf over
the Chinese menace the past 16
months.
Mr. Nehru's intervention also
reflects a division within the
Indian government toward Its
Bhutan policy. One group favors
extending Indian control over
the small kingdom. Another
faction, led by. Mr. Nehru, sup-
ports India's present recognition
of Bhutan's sovereignty as a
semi-independent k i n g d o m
which "consults" New Delhi on
foreign relations and defense.
India Aids Bhutan
The success of India's prsent
happy- relations with Bhutan's
rulers-though It .is geographi-
cally, culturally and racially
linked with Tibet and not India
-is a 'monument to Mr. Nehru's
policy.
Bhutan' does not permit In
than -troops within its borders
but relies heavily on nearly'100:
Indians who train its 20,000-man
army and provide Bhutan's only'
teachers, , doctors and road
engineers.
Bhutan $36.7 million- for a 5-
year program of roads, hydro-
electric Dower and education.
The Indians are building 800
miles of new roads, but Bhu-
tan's 700,000 people are so re-
luctant to leave their traditional
agricultural and hunting voca-
tions, the government has had
to rely partly on 'conscript labor
for a 130,000-man working force.,
Mr. Dorji, as premier, func-
tioned more as a roving am-
blow trumpets, beat gongs,
flutter prayer flags and wear
chain mail and where some of
his ancestors were murdered by
having ceremonial white silk
scarves . stuffed down their
throats, King Wangchuk is
trying to bring' his feudal land
into the 20th century.
There are no towns, banks,
stores or electricity. Until re-
cently, condemned murderers
were sewn alive Into yak skins
and thrown in & 'river, and the
only public entertainments are,
devil -dances and archery tour-l
year-old ruler, King, Jigme!
Dorji Wangchuk, ran the coup-. ,
try. 'But both men, 'and Mr.
Dorji's brother Lhendup whoo
probably will succeed as prem-,
ier, and a sister, 'Tashi, are,
closely indentified by Bhutan's'
old guard as the instruments of
unwelcome change.
Enlightened Ruler
From his soaring castle-for-
tress, the young. king has freed
5,000 slaves, abolished prostra;
tion In his presence, setup 70
schools where none, ' exlsted~ '
before' and abolished polyandry!
and restricted polygamy; to.
three wives.
Amidst a court Where lam".
~. ,.~ ..