Gospel For Asia (GFA), a mission group working in the Himalayan nation, said two Christian families were physically attacked and kicked out of their homes "after they chose to follow Christ." On Saturday, April 12, "their fellow villagers attacked the new Christians and forced them out of the village."

The incident meant a major challenge for GFA missionaries Lali Bharose and Ekta Surgari, who recently preached in the village, the group said. The angry crowd "also told Lali and Ekta to leave the village," GFA said. The exact name of the village was not released, apparently because of security reasons.

GFA said the incident underscored tensions in Bhutan where less than one percent is Christian, according to estimates. Attracted by its policy of Gross National Happiness, Western media have held up the country's apparently peaceful transition to democracy in March as a model of wise governance by a Buddhist regime protecting its culture from the ravages of consumerism.

SECLUDED KINGDOM

The secluded Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan became the world's newest democracy in March, when the nation held its first elections and ended more than 100 years of royal rule.

However human rights groups say that in the last 20-years its monarchy, threatened by an increase in Bhutan's ethnic Nepalese population, targeted religious minorities. Families who had been living in Bhutan for generations were stripped of their citizenship.

An estimated one hundred thousand Hindu Bhutanese - around one sixth of the country's entire population - were driven into exile and their land redistributed among the Drukpas, Bhutan's Buddhist elite, observers said.

Christians are also believed to be among the refugees.

POLITICAL TENSIONS

The issue is expected to come up in political debates, but there have been problems with starting a new 47-seat national assembly.

The People's Democratic Party, which won just two seats, has said it will ask Bhutan's Election Commission to look into possible illegal last-minute campaigning by the winning party.

Bhutan gave a stunning landslide victory in the polls to the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party, led by ex-premier Jigmi Thinley, surprising analysts who had predicted a close race. (BosNewsLife's MISSION WATCH is a regular look at missionaries working in difficult circumstances, especially in the two-thirds world).

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Comments

tshencho	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (06:49)
being a truely buddhist country , we got to preserve our cunture and religion.Christian is a new thing in this country and i dont think people will tolerate. those who r intrested can go to other country where they can pratice Christianity freely but not in Bhutan. the bottom line here is , when u r in rome , be and live like romans.

kelzang	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (07:10)
I know this things will happen. Frankly speaking i m a buddhist but i have equal respect for other religions as well. and i think basically every buddhist do. But what i dont like here is ,Gospel For Asia (GFA), idea of going to a village and speading the religion. leave that to people . Buddhist never encourage others to follow buddhist. Cant we expect the same from others. Let there is peace please.

Dorjibahadur Gurung	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (08:30)
I am a hindu. I never hate religions. People have right to chose and practice religion individually with own consience. But no conversion. Humans are humans. One human can not treat another human being as animals. Co-exist and respect each other must prevail among mankind for peace and tranquility.

Wangdi	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (10:00)
People can serve God by working to help the needy people. Can work for the needy people not necessarily converting them to your own religion. This so called missionaries, if they are only interested in converting people to their religion and not work for the needy people, can not claim that they are serving God. Did the right thing by expelling them. They should be thankful that they have been just "EXPELLED" and did nothing else to them. People should know what to plant and where to plant. If you plant a Coconut tree in the Snow, do you expect it to grow? Trying to introduce another religion in the country where Buddhism is so strong, what do you expect? If GFA doesn't mess up in others business, there is nothing to worry and the missionaries don't have to become concern.

rudrak	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (12:50)
the main intension of mission group is to help needy people or to convert people into christian??? The truth is that every religion is there to guid people in right path, but why practioners want people to follow their religion and leave behind other religion. let people practice what they are born with. if practioners are wise enough they should not be creating such a problem to fulfil their policies which is unwanted in religions. here not to blame bhutan or villagers but to be blamed missionery group. TO BE TRUTH i have my relative who kept old religion behind and turned into christian. he tells as a christian he gets cash which is better and advantage for self. Is this religious.THE RELIGION IS TRUTH but its hard to belive the practioner's aims and objectives. Those who preach or bless should see the truth, circumstances and many other considerations before they creat a goodly problem. Bhutan already has strong foundation of religion as buddhist and why some people wanted to pour oil over the clear water. Bhutan is always on rigth path as a bhutan and please don't try to shake it or destory. let it also remain as one on this earth.

John Wilson	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (14:15)
I am a born Christian even though I haven't gone to Church or Services for the last decade or so. The main reason I stayed away from church was because the churches were becoming more business oriented than simply being houses of god. I have also had the good fortune to visit Bhutan in 2005 as a tourist and fell in love with Bhutan and her people resulting in another week long visit in 2007 and as a volunteer technical expert in land management in 2008. What we, the western world has to understand is that Bhutanese are very tolerant people and I do not believe that christians have been thrown out o their village ( I don't even think there would be any christians in Bhutan, after all who would want to be a Christian when you have such a beautiful , non-prohibitive religion). These kind of rumour mills aimed at promoting christainity and hoping to raise unnecessary funds should be done away with. Keep up your good work Bhutan and good luck with GNH.

Sridharan	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (22:35)
Christian missionairies are promoting violence and propaganda against native traditions in Northeast and trying to extend their mischief into Bhutan now. Don't they have any shame? Haven't they destroyed Native Americas and Asia through theor never ending intrigues? In China, they promoted the heroin trade and other violence like Boxer Rebellion and tried to deculturize the people. Forget this Christian nonsense; it is only white man's imperialism going in name of religion. The sad part is that Christianity is nothing but Roman War Propaganda against the Jews. This has been highlighted by Joseph Atwill in his book Caesar's Messiah. People have to give up their beautiful cultures and replace it with a western hoax that has brought untold misery to natives and jews throughout history. see for yourself the origins of Christianity as Roman war propaganda against Jews: http://www.caesarsmessiah.com/summary.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCNJf83bqjs

Sridharan	Thursday, 08 May 2008 (23:08)
Christian missionairies are promoting violence and propaganda against native traditions in Northeast and trying to extend their mischief into Bhutan now. Don't they have any shame? Haven't they destroyed Native Americas and Asia through theor never ending intrigues? In China, they promoted the heroin trade and other violence like Boxer Rebellion and tried to deculturize the people. Forget this Christian nonsense; it is only white man's imperialism going in name of religion. The sad part is that Christianity is nothing but Roman War Propaganda against the Jews. This has been highlighted by Joseph Atwill in his book Caesar's Messiah. People have to give up their beautiful cultures and replace it with a western hoax that has brought untold misery to natives and jews throughout history. see for yourself the origins of Christianity as Roman war propaganda against Jews: http://www.caesarsmessiah.com/summary.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCNJf83bqjs

Ugyen	Friday, 09 May 2008 (03:09)
First of all, it is surprising to find this news on the internet while I living in this place haven't heard of it. Am I ignorant? I hope not. I don't think this is true. Everyone has their right and freedom to religion. Bhutan is the most tolerant nation. Even the news on the Nepalese refugees are half true and all spiced up by some one-sided journalist.

ongchuk	Friday, 09 May 2008 (07:37)
in this democratic world every one has right and freedom to do what he/she wished in line with the govnt laws, but what i usually observed is that the christians try to influence or brainwash people into practising christian with may good lucks gauranteed.this is something bad about christians. it really outrages me. christians can practise own their own without influencing others that christianism is good or the like. and as for GFA, will u please leave us on our own??

ongchuk	Friday, 09 May 2008 (07:50)
in connection, i would like to remind bhutan government not to authorise such activities in future. this is just the tip of an ice berge, be informed. our state religion is buddhism and only buddhism can be allowed for such discourses. but as a democratic country, we should allow any people to practise any religion.respect all the religions and the practitioners. but christians stop acting IRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

cT	Friday, 09 May 2008 (11:02)
the so called missionaries or NGO supporting the spread of Christianity.. pump in money to lure some innocent peoplel... in return these people are trying to convert innocent villagers in Bhutan into Christianity...by paying them.. holding prayers... with free meals ...and thus on... some of them are brain washed by these people sighting that their fate of suffering or poverty today is because of their religion ....as a bhutanes i respect all religion ...and have no problem in people choosing their religion of faith.. But whats happening in Bhutan is something else which i dont tolerate.

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