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By Vishal Arora/Compass Direct News
NEW DELHI (BP)A court in Bhutan has sentenced aChristian to three years in prison for attempting to promote civil unrest by screening films on Christianity in the predominantly Buddhist country.
A local court in Gelephu, Bhutan, handed down the Oct. 6conviction against Prem Singh Gurung, a40-year-old ethnic Nepalese citizen from south Bhutan, according to the government-run daily Kuensel.
Gurung was arrested in July after local residents complained that he was showing Christian films in two villages. Gurung invited villagers to watch Nepali movies; between each feature, he showed films on Christianity.
Government attorneys could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Gurung promoted civil unrest, the daily reported, and therefore he was charged with an attempt to promote civil unrest.
Gurung also was charged with violation of the Bhutan Information, Communication and Media Act of 2006. Sections 105(1) and 110 of the law require that authorities examine all films before public screening.
A Christian from Bhutans capital told Compass Direct News that the conviction of Gurung disturbed area villagers.
While Gurung has the right to appeal, it remained unclear if he had the resources to doso.
The two villages, Gonggaon and Simkharkha, are virtually inaccessible. It can take from 24 and 48hours to reach them from the nearestroad.
Both villages do not have electricity, Kuensel reported. But Prem Singh Gurung, with the help of some people, is believed to have carried aprojector and agenerator to screen the movies in the village.

Buddhist monks in Thimphu, Bhutan, sit outside the Tashichho Dzong monastery, which also serves as the seat of government. Compass Direct Newsphoto.

More than 75 percent of Bhutans 683,407 people are Buddhist, mainly from western and eastern parts of the country. Hindus, mostly ethnic Nepalese from southern Bhutan, are estimated to be around 22 percent of the population.

Buddhism is the state religion in Bhutan, and the government is mandated to protect its culture and religion according to the 2008 constitution. As in other parts of south Asia, people in Bhutan mistakenly believe that Christianity is aWestern faith and that missionaries give monetary benefits to convert people from other religions.
An opinion piece in Kuensel on Oct. 17 by aBhutanese woman from New York who described herself as an aspiring Buddhist condemned both the conviction of Gurung, though repeating amistaken view of Christian tactics.
Although we may not like the tactics used by the Christians to proselytize or sell their religion to impoverished and vulnerable groups, lets not lose sight of the bigger picture, in terms of religious tolerance, and what constitutes promoting civil unrest, Sonam Ongmo wrote. If we truly want to establish ourselves as awell-functioning democracy, with equal rights for all, lets start with one of the fundamental ones the right to choose ones faith. We have nothing to worry about Buddhism losing ground to Christianity, but we will if, as apredominantly Buddhist state, we start to deny people the right to theirfaith.
While her view is representative of liberal Buddhists in Bhutan, areaders response in aforum on Kuensels website reflected the harder line.
These Christians are acancer to our society, areader identifying himself as The Last Dragon wrote. They had crusades after crusades we dont need that. We are very happy with Buddhism. Once Christianity is perfect as they always claim [it] to be, then letssee.
In July, the government of Bhutan proposed an amendment in the Penal Code of Bhutan which would punish proselytizing that uses coercion or other forms of inducement.
Christian persecution arose in Bhutan in the 1980s when the king began a one-nation, one-people campaign to protect the countrys sovereignty and cultural integrity. Ethnic Nepalese, however, protested the move on grounds of discrimination. Authorities responded militarily, leading to the expulsion or voluntary migration of more than 100,000 ethnic Nepalese, many of whom were secret Christians, to the Nepal side of the border in Jhapa in the early1990s.
An absolute monarchy for over 100years, Bhutan became ademocratic constitutional monarchy in March 2008, in accordance with the wish of former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who served from 19722006. Since the advent of democracy, the country has brought in many reforms, and it is generally believed that the government gradually is giving more freedom to its citizens.
The present king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmey Thinley, are respected by almost all Bhutanese and are seen as benevolent rulers.

Vishal Arora is awriter in New Delhi. Compass Direct News (www.compassdirect.org), based in Santa Ana, Calif., provides reports on Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Used by permission.