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Print this pageBhutan
Officially, the Christian faith does not exist in Bhutan and Christians are not allowed to pray or celebrate in public. Openly, Christians can meet as a family but not collectively with other Christian families. Religious workers are denied visas to enter the country. Christian children are accepted in schools, but some face discrimination if known to be a Christian and they face the constant pressure to attend Buddhist religious festivals. It is almost impossible for Christian students to get to university level. For Christians with government jobs, discrimination is also an issue. There have been cases of believers being deprived of promotion simply because of their faith. The import of printed religious matter is banned, and only Buddhist religious texts are allowed in the country. Persecution mainly comes from the family, the community, and the monks who yield a strong influence in the society. Cases of atrocities (i.e. beatings) are sporadic. 2008 was a year of major changes in Bhutan: the first-ever elections for parliament were held; a new constitution which guarantees more religious liberty was implemented and a new king was crowned.
Situation January 2009