THIMPHU, Bhutan — Prosecutors in this tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas are charging one of two pastors arrested in March with illegally collecting funds and have dropped charges against both of lacking permission to screen a film, sources said.
The office of the attorney general in April charged M.B. Thapa, known as Lobzang, and Tandin Wangyal with attempting to screen a film and illegally collecting funds after no evidence was found to charge them with proselytizing, as the home and cultural affairs minister had initially sought.
Wangyal was charged with collecting funds from within and outside of Bhutan. He denied the charge, which under Article 71 of the Civil Society Organization Act of Bhutan outlaws raising funds for activities “in contravention of the laws of the country” and without prior permission. The pastors were arrested in Khapdani village, Dorokha area in Samtse District, on March 5.
“I would never think of collecting money from the poor villagers,” Wangyal said. “They are trying to link information from my laptop and hard disk to the Khapdani case, which is totally irrelevant.”
On March 4, they had spoken at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new house at the invitation of another Christian in Khapdani. They were planning to hold a three-day seminar in the village the next day that included the film screening, but as they were trying to transport a child who was ill to a hospital, police arrested them.
While charges against Lobzang have been dropped, the verdicts against him and Wangyal will be announced jointly.
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