Bhutan is a hereditary monarchy, though recent reforms have given the National Assembly the authority to remove the Monarch with a two-thirds vote. The King governs with the support of a National Assembly, Cabinet, Council of Ministers and a Monastic Body. The King is head of state and responsible for matters of security and sovereignty. Governance is the responsibility of the Prime Minister and the Council. There is no written constitution.

Since 2001, a 39-person committee of elected representatives, religious leaders and judicial and government officials is drafting a constitution to give village headmen the power to arbitrate disputes. Drafting was completed in 2005 and the document distributed to citizens. A referendum to approve the constitution is yet to be held. In the 150-member National Assembly, 105 seats are elected, 35 are appointed by the King and 10 are selected by the Buddhist clergy.

The National Assembly can pass legislation but ultimate control resides with the King. The National Assembly convenes once a year and elects the Council of Ministers and the Royal Advisory Council. Cabinet ministers are nominated by the King and elected to a 5-year term by the National Assembly. Women hold 15 seats in the Assembly, 2 places in the High Court and 23% of civil service positions. All major ethnic groups are represented in the National Assembly. Political parties are prohibited. The National Judicial Commission oversees the judiciary.

Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, language or social status is legally prohibited, but many abuses of these rights occur.

Members of the security forces are accused of committing human rights abuses with impunity. Some 70 political prisoners are serving sentences for offences committed during 1991-92. Corruption is a growing concern that the government is trying to combat.

The economy is based on agriculture, which provides a livelihood for 80% of the population. Citizenship is highly contentious. Many ethnic Nepalese residents were denaturalised under the 1985 citizenship law. Residents who could prove residence during the 15 years prior to 1985 were permitted to apply for naturalisation; those who could not were declared to be illegal immigrants. Large numbers of ethnic Nepalese were deported. Any naturalised citizen deemed by act or speech to be disloyal to the King, country and people of Bhutan can have their citizenship revoked.

Political parties organised by ethnic Nepalese exiles are classed as terrorists groups. Privacy rights are infringed and freedom of speech and of the press are restricted. Public access to government information is not provided in law. All citizens, including minorities, are required to wear the traditional dress of the ethnic majority in public places. The law is strictly enforced for visits to Buddhist religious buildings, monasteries, government offices and schools.

Bhutan ratified the convention of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation on preventing and combating trafficking in women and children for prostitution. About 45% of Bhutan's population is under age 15 years, and about 63% is under age 25. A survey of High School students found that, although awareness of HIV was high, myths abound. Fewer than 500 cases of HIV/AIDS are reported in the country.

The government has rapidly expanded the number of primary schools. Free and compulsory primary school education is provided, and enrolment of girls is increasing. No law bars ethnic Nepalese children from attending school, but many are prevented in practice because of the large number of primary schools that have been closed in areas populated by ethnic Nepalese. Dissidents claim that the few schools that operate in areas with a large Nepalese population give preference to the children of government officials and members of the security forces. Local inhabitants have to send their children to other areas of the country for schooling.

Security clearance has been denied for children of ethnic Nepalese deemed "anti-nationals." Claims are made that Nepalese secondary-level students scoring well on national exams are not given the same advantages as other students. Only Buddhist religious teaching is permitted in schools. Some dissidents claim that Buddhist prayer is compulsory in all government-run schools.

A 4-year ECE programme begins at age 4. No other statistical information is available.

Primary education begins at age 7 and lasts till age 12. 47% of primary school students are girls. 13% of children repeat a grade level.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and lasts 4 years. 2% of students study in technical vocational programmes.

620 Bhutanese students study in India (227), Australia (118), Thailand (107), Malaysia (105) and the USA (63).

The law does not specifically protect the rights of citizens with disabilities, but there is no evidence of official discrimination in education or in other state services. Specific information on education for disabled children is sparse.

The law does not provide for the granting of asylum in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that since the early 1990s over 100,000 ethnic Nepalese expelled from Bhutan have been living in southeastern Nepal in 7 camps, where education opportunities are limited.

Discriminatory measures continued after the expulsion of ethnic Nepalese. The law requires that the national dress be worn for official occasions and as a school uniform and that Dzongkha, the Bhutanese national language, be taught as a second language in all schools. No instruction in Nepali as a second language is required or offered. Ethnic Bhutanese have been resettled in the southern part of the country on land vacated by the ethnic Nepalese now living in refugee camps in Nepal. The tensions between the Hindu Nepalese and the Buddhist Bhutanese are religious as well as economic in origin.

In May 2003 the Royal Bhutan University opened in Thimphu. Reports do not indicate official restriction of academic freedom, but the climate fosters self-censorship. Use of the Internet is not restricted except for material considered pornographic.

Women participate freely in the social and economic life of the country. While the law provides for equal treatment of men and women, different legal practices based on religious affiliation often result in discrimination against women.

Inheritance laws provide for equal inheritance among sons and daughters, but traditional practice varies. Dowries are not customary among ethnic Nepalese Hindus. Inheritance practices favouring daughters are said to account for large numbers of women who own businesses. Women constitute 30% of the formal work force but many are in unskilled jobs and are paid less than men in the same positions. The minimum age of marriage for women is 18. Polygamy is allowed provided the first wife gives her permission. Polyandry is also permitted but is rare.

The law does not specifically prohibit domestic violence. Women do not report abuse because of cultural taboos and because they are unaware of their legal options. There were few reported instances of sexual harassment.

There is no minimum age for employment, but a minimum age of 18 has been established "in all matters of the state." Children perform agricultural work and chores on family farms. The law does not specifically prohibit forced or compulsory labour by children, but reports do not highlight such practices.

Workers do not have the right to form or join trade unions, to bargain collectively or to strike. The Ministry of Labour exists to provide vocational training. Bhutan is not a member of the International Labour Organisation. Voluntary community service is often required to build roads, schools and hospitals. Mandatory national work service was abolished in 1996, but the practice is still prevalent.

Wage rates range upward from a minimum of roughly US$2.50 (100 ngultrums) a day plus allowances in cash or kind. This minimum wage with allowances provides a modest living for a worker and family. The work day is defined as 8 hours. The largest salaried work force is the government service, whose wage structure was last revised in 1988 but has been supplemented by special allowances and increases.