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Bhutan - Religion

Druk-pa Ka-gyu, one of the major schools of Mahayana Buddhism, is the state religion of Bhutan. Also, residual elements of Bon, the ancient religion supplanted by the advent of Buddhism still exist in some pockets of the country. Hinduism is common among communities in the southern foothills, as are other branches of Buddhism.

According to a US government estimate, approximately 75 percent of the population are followers of the Drukpa Kagyu or Nyingma schools of Buddhism. Hindus represent approximately 22 percent of the total population and mostly reside in southern areas of the country, according to the Pew Research Center. Estimates of the size of the Christian community range from 2,000 (from the Pew Research Center) to 25,000 (from Christian groups). Most Christians are reportedly concentrated in towns and in the south of the country. Although the animist Bon tradition is often combined with Buddhist practices, according to scholars very few citizens adhere exclusively to this religious tradition. The Sharchop ethnic group, which forms the majority of the population in the east, practices elements of Tibetan Buddhism combined with elements of the Bon tradition and Hinduism, according to the advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom.

The constitution recognizes Buddhism as the state’s “spiritual heritage,” and states it is “the responsibility of all religious institutions and personalities to promote the spiritual heritage of the country.” The constitution states every citizen has “the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion” and bans discrimination based on religion. The constitution states the king must be Buddhist and requires the king to be the “protector of all religions.”

The constitution states “no person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement.” The penal code criminalizes coercion or inducement to convert as a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years imprisonment. The law prohibits oral or written communication promoting enmity between religious groups and provides for sentences of up to three years imprisonment for violations. There were no reports of prosecutions.

The law requires religious groups to register with the Commission for Religious Organizations (CRO). In order to register, a religious group must submit an application demonstrating its leaders are citizens and disclosing their educational background and financial assets. The law also specifies the organizational structure, bylaws, and procedural rules registered religious organizations must follow. The law says no religious organization shall violate the spiritual heritage of the country. The law also states no religious organization shall do anything to impair the sovereignty, security, unity, or territorial integrity of the country. The law mandates the CRO certify religious groups applying for registration meet the requirements specified in the law.

Registered religious groups may raise funds for religious activities and are exempt from taxes. Registered groups require permission from local government authorities to hold public meetings and permission from the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs to invite foreign speakers or receive foreign funds.

The government does not recognize unregistered religious groups, and they may not organize publicly, own property, raise funds, conduct outreach activities, or import literature. According to the law, illegal activities of this kind are subject to penalties prescribed by the penal code, which specifies punishments ranging from fines to prison terms, depending upon the offense. Unregistered religious groups may hold private worship services in homes.

The government released Pastor Tandin Wangyal from prison after he paid a fine following his 2014 conviction on charges including unauthorized fundraising. Nongovernmental organization (NGO) representatives said the lack of a clear definition of what the law meant by “inducements” to conversion placed the activities of minority religious groups at risk of legal sanction. The government has registered only Buddhist groups and one Hindu umbrella organization; there are no registered Christian or Muslim groups. Unregistered groups were generally able to worship in private, although the Christian community continued to hold religious meetings discreetly.