Bhutan jails two Christians

Thimphu, June 16: Two brothers, Benjamin and John Dai, have been given prison sentences up to three-and-half-year last week for their involvement in popularizing Christianity in Bhutan.

They were arrested on January 8, 2006, for having shown a video on Jesus in the home of non-Christians. News of the arrest was given by the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEARLC).  The two men had been reported by a young man who had attended the screening.

Benjamin received a prison sentence of three-and-a-half years, while John was sentenced to three years. They were given ten days to appeal to the court with the help of a lawyer.

Bhutan was closed to Christians until 1965, but a relaxation of isolationist policies enabled some Christian NGOs, predominantly Indian, to enter the country.  In theory, though not in reality, its laws permit freedom of worship.  However, Christians must abide by severe rules: they cannot build churches, nor gather freely.

The new draft constitution of August 2005 guarantees freedom of speech, opinion, expression, thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom to receive and disseminate information, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly. There are however also clauses such as Article 7.3: “No person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement.”  Article 7.21 gives the authorities an opening to restrict freedoms in order to ensure security and social harmony.

The sovereign has been minimizing these limitations and continues to affirm the importance of freedom and that peace and harmony are the responsibility of all Bhutanese. The Chief Justice likewise affirms that in a democracy there should be no discrimination against any religion, and that freedom of religion is a fundamental right of the people.

Thus, the arrest of Benjamin and John would seem more something from Bhutan’s past than the new course that the king is trying to set. WEARLC has asked for prayers that these two brothers be freed and that religious freedom be effectively recognized. There are over 3000 Christians in the country. Bhutan News Service