Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan
Flag of Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan
Country	Bhutan
Type	Royal bodyguard
Part of	Royal Bhutan Army
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier Pem Dorji
Notable commanders	Major General Dhendup Tshering, Brigadier Thinley Tobgyel

The Royal Bodyguard (RBG) of Bhutan is a part of the Royal Bhutan Army,^[1][2] but is independently under the personal command of the King of Bhutan (as of 2023, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck). It is in charge of the security of the king and other members of the royal family. The strength of the force is more than one thousand soldiers, and it is the most elite unit of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The commandant is Brigadier Pem Dorji.

The soldiers are well trained and well equipped with the latest armaments and training in all fields such as counter-terrorism, etc. Under the personal command of the fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan proved themselves^[when?] during brief conflict with northeastern extremist groups^[vague] camped in Bhutan, as the guards had no casualties and spearheaded most of the attacks.^{[citation needed]}

Former commandant

Major General Dhendup Tshering was commissioned on 12 June 1971 from the Indian Military Academy. Prior to joining the Royal Bodyguard in 1973, he served in the Northern Borders.

As a lieutenant colonel, he assumed the command of the Royal Bodyguard in 1988. In his 44 years of command, the general played a vital role in managing the anti-national crisis in 1990 and 2003 operations against the militants. The general is a recipient of Drakpoi Thugsey and Drakpoi Wangyel for his service to the Tsa-Wa-Sum^{[clarification needed]}.

Criticism

The RBG has arbitrarily detained and tortured those who spoke out against the Bhutanese monarchy. RBG soldiers have also murdered Lhotshampas in the south.^[3][4]