The Persecution Times » Bhutan
Pastor Sentenced to Three Years in Bhutan Prison for Showing Jesus Film
BHUTAN (ANS) — The Bhutan High Court sentenced Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Ugyen Tashi to three years in prison for “attempting to promote civil unrest” for showing a film about Jesus. On May 21st, carrying a generator and a projector, Ugyen walked for two days into interior villages of Bhutan with a single purpose—to give people a chance to learn about Jesus. But when one of the village chiefs learned of the movie’s content, he informed the chief of his district, who then called the police to arrest Ugyen. Investigations and Questionings The days following the arrest were a whirlwind of investigations, questionings, postponements, police statements and waiting. While police investigated his case, Pastor Ugyen was kept in a small, dark, mosquito-filled room along with three other inmates. On June 14, the police attempted to search … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bhutan, Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution
Missionary Threatened for Refusing to Denounce Christ
Gospel for Asia missionary Amil Romir refused to comply with a local government official’s request to denounce Christ and discontinue his ministry in the small country of Bhutan. Amil was summoned to the office of the local political leader. The man asked him to write a statement saying, “I will never preach about Jesus Christ and will never show the film on the life of Jesus Christ in this area.” Since Amil refused to turn his back on Christ, the officials have threatened to send his case to a higher authority. Amil and his ministry have been the target of anti-Christian extremists for several months. In June, local officials interrupted a worship service that Amil was leading. They were delivering a warrant calling for each of the Christians in the service to appear … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bhutan, Buddhism, Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution
Missionary and Believers Interrogated
“You are not allowed to preach about Jesus Christ, and you cannot meet together for any kind of church service,” a local government official in Bhutan told Gospel for Asia missionary Amil Romir. Bhutanese officials interrogated Amil and 30 other Christians, after Amil was charged with forcibly converting people through the allurement of film. Despite the new believers’ testimonies of independently choosing to follow Christ, the authorities opposed Amil’s ministry. On June 24, officials interrupted a worship service and issued Amil and the believers a warrant, summoning them to a hearing. The authorities had noticed the tremendous fruit Amil’s ministry produced and wanted to put a stop to more people choosing to put their faith in Jesus. On June 30, Amil and the other Christians reported to the authorities’ administrative office. Each believer … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bhutan, Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution
Gospel for Asia Film Team under Attack
Police in Bhutan plan to interrogate Gospel for Asia missionary Amil Romir. His crime? Showing a movie about the life of Jesus. After seeing many people turn to Christ after watching the movie, several religious extremists recently filed a complaint against Amil, his film team and other local believers. They claim that Amil is luring people into Christianity through the film, which is made in traditional Asian style. “People from all walks of life from our villages are deserting their traditional religions and embracing the Christian faith because of the regular film showings,” the extremists told police. Although Bhutans new constitution guarantees religious freedom, the extremists are pressuring police to take action against Amil. And authorities are summoning him for questioning. For over a year, the missionary has shared the love of Christ through … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bhutan, Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution
Christians Attacked in Bhutan – Gospel for Asia
Two Christian families were physically attacked and kicked out of their homes after they chose to follow Christ. These two families live in Bhutan. Gospel for Asia missionaries Lali Bharose and Ekta Surgari, who recently began ministering in their village, shared the Gospel with these families and they chose to follow Christ. On Saturday, April 12, their fellow villagers attacked the new Christians and forced them out of the village. They also told Lali and Ekta to leave the village. Less than one percent of Bhutan’s residents claim to follow Christ. Sharing the Gospel with people who follow the two traditional religions in the country is illegal. Bhutan has a population of about 2.1 million. It is a small, landlocked country sharing borders with India, Bangladesh and China. GFA leaders ask for prayer for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bhutan, Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution
