But not quite alike England's in conception or execution - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Bhutan - they've been making a pretty steady democratic march over the last decade or so. This is colored by an ethnic clash between the Bhutanese Ngalop culture and the Lhotshampa who are of Nepali origin. One might say Bhutan is culturally exclusionary, but at the same time, considering the dynamics of the region they believe it to be warranted. I'm not sure the current king Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck would have made the same decision, but now that it has happened and there has been migration out of Bhutan, he's not about to roll back the cultural protections. The Bhutanese Kingdom does not want to be forced into the 21st century, they want to join it on their own terms and there is a certain respectability to that considering the assimilating nature of globalization.
Bhutan certainly does have economic problems and some might suppose political problems, but that has to be weighed with the reality that Buddhism is the traditional religion, monarchy is the traditional form of government, and applying Western notions regarding these things is in a very real way cultural imperialism. Moreover, it's not like we're talking about the Khmer Rouge here - no one is being compelled by force to remain in Bhutan.
The codification of Bhutanese culture traces its roots directly back to Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the Tibetan lama and military leader who unified Bhutan as a nation state in the 17th century. The Shabdrung sought to unify the country not only politically but culturally as well. He established the Driglam Namzha, guidelines for architecture, festivals, and public dress and behavior. These guidelines were intentionally codified to encourage the emergence of a distinctive Bhutanese identity.
During the six 5-year plans for Bhutan's planned developing starting from the 1960s, authorities seemed to take the survival for Bhutan's tradition and culture for granted. During that period of rapid development a significant part of Bhutan's population, principally the youth, were exposed overnight to outside ideas, cultures, and influences. This period also saw a marked increase in immigrants from Nepal and India, most of whom settled in the south among the Lhotshampa.
By the 1980s, the government felt it necessary to safeguard the dominant Ngalop culture. In 1989 the government elevated the status of the Driglam Namzha dress code from recommended to mandatory. Afterward, all citizens were required to observe the dress code (the gho and kira) in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Hindu Lhotshampa in the southern lowlands who voiced complaints about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop.[10][11] This was accompanied by regulations restricting employment and educational opportunities for residents who were not of full Bhutanese descent.[citation needed] However, the government finds it difficult to relent because it perceives a threat to tradition demographically and culturally. As a result of ethnic tensions, there were an estimated 107,000[12] refugees and asylum seekers, mostly Lhotshampa, in refugee camps in Nepal in 2008. By January 2010, an estimated 90,078[13] remained persons of concern.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_BhutanBhutan is very progressive economically:
Worker rights
Bhutanese labor law includes mandatory workman's compensation, pensions, wages and hours including overtime; universal rules on leave, including maternity and nursing leave; and comprehensive provisions on employment contracts and related rights and remedies. The law explicitly places the financial burden of ensuring occupational health and safety on the employer, and requires accident and safety reporting.[5]
Bhutanese labor law also permits the formation of workers' associations by any group of 12 or more workers under a legal work contract. These labor associations are permitted to engage in collective bargaining, and to be represented by a non-management employee of their ranks. In the event of an unresolvable dispute, the Chief Labour Administrator is empowered to intervene as conciliator. Settlement may otherwise be reached by resorting to the Royal Court of Justice.[5]
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Bhutan#Public_lawI think most Bhutanese are generally happy with the lives they live and do not wish to see a foreign model applied to their state.
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