Pax Interrupta

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan saw its last major war in 1865, when Bhutanese troops wielded rhinoceros-skin shields in a skirmish with the British Army. Since then the mountain nation has been so tranquil that a few years back King Jigme Singye Wangchuck ordered the dismantling of the country's sole traffic light, saying it was superfluous on such peaceful roads.

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This month, the Bhutanese army went into battle for the first time, attacking 30 camps inside the country's southern border occupied by 3,000 separatist guerrillas from the Indian state of Assam. Simultaneously, the Indian army sealed its side of the frontier. (Some rebels also help smuggle weapons and people from China and Southeast Asia to insurgencies in the region.) By late last week, 92 guerrillas and 37 Bhutanese soldiers were reported killed in clashes, and hundreds of guerrillas, including some senior leaders, had been captured. Bhutan is apparently preparing for a sustained campaign. The King's 19-year-old son, Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, took leave from Oxford University last month to return home to join the fight.