Christians in Bhutan fear proposed ‘anti-conversion’ law

THIMPHU, Bhutan — Christians in this Himalayan nation who are still longing to openly practice their faith were disheartened in July when the government proposed the kind of “anti-conversion” law that other nations have used as a pretext for falsely accusing Christians of “coercion.” The amendment bill would punish “proselytizing” that “uses coercion or other forms of inducement” — vaguely enough worded, Christians fear, that vigilantes could use it to jail them for following the commands of Christ to feed, clothe and otherwise care for the poor.

“There was always a virtual anti-conversion law in place, but now it is on paper, too,” said a senior pastor from Thimphu on condition of anonymity. “Seemingly it is aimed at controlling the growth of Christianity.” Kuenlay Tshering, a member of Bhutan’s Parliament and the representative of its Legislative Council, told Compass Direct News the National Council proposed that offenses under the proposal be classified as misdemeanors, punishable by one to less than three years in prison. Tshering said the amendment bill “may be passed during the next session of Parliament, after the National Assembly deliberates on it in the winter session.”

Authorities usually act on complaints by local residents against Christian workers, so frivolous complaints can lead to their arrest, said another pastor who requested anonymity. The ambiguous status of Christians in Bhutan has led to another problem: In the Lamperi area, near Thimphu, a national daily recently reported that at least eight graves of Christians had been exhumed and the skulls and thigh bones extracted for a Buddhist ritual. Although the report marked the first time the practice had made the news, Christian leaders said more than 100 graves have been dug up as the trade in human bones has been going on for more than five years.