about
Bhutan
Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Officially, the Christian faith does not exist. But there are an estimated 7-10,000 Christians.
Major sources of oppression & persecution: Government and lack of human rights, and pressures from Buddhism.
Since October 2000, the government of Bhutan has carried out a sustained campaign against the Christian minority in the country. Christians have come under severe pressure from the authorities to renounce their faith. This new wave of persecution reportedly began to grow after the hereditary monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuk publicly encouraged his people to declare allegiance to Buddhism.
Taking their cue from the King’s speech and encouraged by Buddhist clerics who claim that Christianity brings division to the nation, regional officials have intensified their repression of the few existing house churches.
Christians are forced to pledge in writing not to gather to worship or to evangelize. The official forms generally reads as follows:
‘I am fully aware of the rules and regulations governing the practice of any religion other than Buddhism or Hinduism in Bhutan, and shall strictly abide by these rules.
‘I shall accept the penalties for breaching these rules’
The penalties for defying the rules include withdrawal of all state benefits, loss of free education for their children, loss of promotion and training opportunities, termination of employment, cancellation of trade licences, restriction of movement and, for repeated offences, exile. The state security forces closely monitor Christian activities in other regions. Christians in some areas are meeting in the middle of the night for fear of persecution from the authorities.