*ARCHIVED OCTOBER 2007 // CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT DATA
Bhutan (click here to view a satellite map)
Bhutan, South Asia
Population: 2,232,291
Christians: <1%
Dominant Religion: Buddhism
Persecution Ranking: 6th
Political Leader: King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
Religious Freedom in Constitution: N/A
The Drukpa, or dragon people, are the majority people group of Bhutan. They dominate the government and are devout followers of Lamaistic Buddhism, the state religion. The king has gone to great lengths to preserve the indigenous Buddhist culture of the Drukpa, even requiring all government workers to take an oath affirming their allegiance to 'one nation, one king and one religion'.
Such attempts to stress the majority Buddhist culture led to resentment among the ethnic Nepali community in the south. The resulting violence forced tens of thousands of Nepalis to flee the country. Some 100,000 refugees live in poor conditions in refugee camps in Nepal. Officials from Nepal and Bhutan are engaged in ongoing dialogue about their repatriation.
Evangelism or public expression of worship by any other faith is illegal. The authorities want Christians to stop witnessing and have closed many churches. Forms have been circulated requiring Christians to comply with 'rules and regulations governing the practice of religion.'
Bhutan is morally bound by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees the "right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion," including the "freedom to change religion or belief." Yet Bhutan has no written constitution or bill of rights and there is no legal guarantee of freedom of religion.
Prayer Points
 |
Pray that those under pressure to abandon their faith would remain strong. |
|
The Church would continue to flourish despite the persecution. |
|
Religious freedom would form part of the new constitution. |
|
Believers would know how to share their faith with the Drukpa people. |
|
The whole Bible would be translated into the Dzongkha language and that the Bible would be widely distributed and read. |
LORD God Almighty, we pray that You would make Yourself known among the Buddhists of Bhutan as the One God, One LORD and One Savior. May You make Your truth available to them through the translation of the scriptures into their own language and through the powerful testimony of Your people in both word and deed. We ask You to bring freedom for every Bhutanese to seek You with the full backing of the law of their land. Amen. |
