The authorities in Bhutan say that a leading radio broadcaster -- and a member of the minority ethnic Nepali community -- is seeking political asylum in the Netherlands.

A foreign ministry official told the BBC that the broadcaster, Nandalal Gautam, who headed the Nepali service of the state-owned Bhutan Broadcasting Corporation, went to the Netherlands in December for a training course.

Mr Gautam later disappeared, but has now re-emerged, and officials in the Netherlands confirm that he is seeking asylum to escape what he calls ethnic persecution in Bhutan.

The Bhutanese authorities deny that Mr Gautam was persecuted in any way.