Piecing together past and present in Bhutan:Narration, silence and forgetting in conflict

What happens when conflict is silenced in official narratives but not forgotten among a population? This article explores this question using interview data from anthropological fieldwork in Bhutan. In Bhutan, the ethnic conflict of the early 1990s is surrounded by silence and is not openly discussed. Despite this silence, young Bhutanese have formed a multiplicity of narratives about the conflict. The article highlights three different narratives of conflict, as well as the oblivion found among informants. The main argument is that the silence surrounding the conflict in Bhutan has contributed to two forms of societal rift: between the authorities and the people, and between people themselves. The article contributes to the discussion about what role social memories play in conflicts, by suggesting that silence may cause wariness and hinder processes that help societies to move past conflict in a constructive way

Freedom of Speech and Silent Youth Protest in Bhutan:‘Plz Delete it from Your Inbox’

This article suggests that a political censorship regime exists in Bhutan and that appeals to ensure security and sovereignty of the country, rather than power, are used to uphold this regime. Fieldwork uncovers that fear of how authorities may punish anyone in open opposition is widespread among Bhutanese college students. A number of political issues are characterised as ‘sensitive’ by informants and skilful navigation around them is needed. The perception of free speech as limited inspires self-censorship in public and in private among Bhutanese college students. Free speech is practised in culturally specific ways and online, where anonymous opposition against the established correct ‘non-discourse’ is known as ‘silent protests’. </jats:p

Piecing Together Past and Present in Bhutan: Narration, Silence and Forgetting in Conflict

What happens when conflict is silenced in official narratives but not forgotten among a population? This article explores this question using interview data from anthropological fieldwork in Bhutan. In Bhutan, the ethnic conflict of the early 1990s is surrounded by silence and is not openly discussed. Despite this silence, young Bhutanese have formed a multiplicity of narratives about the conflict. The article highlights three different narratives of conflict, as well as the oblivion found among informants. The main argument is that the silence surrounding the conflict in Bhutan has contributed to two forms of societal rift: between the authorities and the people, and between people themselves. The article contributes to the discussion about what role social memories play in conflicts, by suggesting that silence may cause wariness and hinder processes that help societies to move past conflict in a constructive way

Symptom-Specific Hospital Contacts in 12–18-Year-Olds Vaccinated against COVID-19: A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study

In this register-based real-life cohort study, changes in symptom-specific hospital contacts among 12–18-year-olds following two doses of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine compared to unvaccinated peers were investigated. Using national register data, vaccinated and unvaccinated adolescents were sex and age-matched each week during the inclusion period from May to September 2021. Symptom-specific hospital contacts covering ICD-10 R diagnoses were assessed before first the vaccine dose and after the second vaccine dose. Taking previous rates of symptom-specific hospital contacts into account, differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated adolescents were found. For some hospital contacts, higher rates were seen among the vaccinated, and for others, higher rates were seen among the unvaccinated. Unspecific cognition symptoms may be important to monitor in vaccinated girls, and likewise for throat and chest pain in vaccinated boys within the first months post-vaccination. In perspective, symptom-specific hospital contacts after vaccination against COVID-19 must be assessed by taking the risk of infection and symptoms following COVID-19 infection into account