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Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

Pastor sentenced to 3 yrs in prison

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 04:06 AM PST

The 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 Assist News Service (ANS), reported.

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, the report added.

Below texts are exact excerpts from ANS report – Ed

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 Pastor Ugyen's house, but they were unable to enter because the house was locked.

In need of more information, the police sent a team to the villages where Ugyen showed the Jesus film to reinvestigate and conclude whether people were converted through the screening.

The police summoned the village chiefs and others present at the showing and asked them a series of questions concerning what happened the night of Ugyen's arrest. Both Christians and non-Christians presented statements for Ugyen's case.

Patiently waiting and sharing
Ugyen's case eventually made its way to the district court as he patiently waited in his jail cell and continued to share the Good News with his fellow inmates, all the while enduring harsh living conditions, which aggravated his asthma.

"Pastor Ugyen said he is not sitting idle, and though he is not able to share openly, he is making the best of every opportunity he is getting to share the Good News of Jesus," a GFA field correspondent reported. "There are a few inmates who are interested."

When GFA leaders came to visit the prison, Ugyen asked for a supply of New Testaments to distribute to the inmates and encouraged his visitors not to worry about him.

The court process
On July 22, two months after Ugyen's arrest, he was taken to court for the first phase of his hearing—after multiple postponements and cancellations.

GFA leaders had initially met with local officials to appeal for Ugyen's release on bail, but the officials refused their petition because they considered Ugyen's case very serious and a possible violation of Bhutan's constitution, which states that "No person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement."

Ugyen was asked to write a statement for the court, but his first statement was considered insufficient. Nine times Ugyen rewrote his statement, paying $2.50 each time.

On August 17, the court presented all of Ugyen's statements in the presence of the officials and asked Ugyen to screen the controversial film on the life of Jesus before the court the following day. Although it was reported that the court officials wanted to watch all the films Ugyen had shown before a final verdict was pronounced, the film was never shown.

Bhutan's High Court declared Ugyen guilty and gave him three years in prison.

Bhutan and Religion
Bhutan is one of the least evangelized nations, according to Operation World. This is due in part to the country's deliberate isolation from other cultures. The government and its people seek to protect their ancient traditions, their way of life and especially their religion.

Bhutan's constitution states that "Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan, which promotes the principles and values of peace, non-violence, compassion and tolerance," yet Christians have often been persecuted for their faith even though their constitutional right grants them freedom of religion as long as they weren't compelled by coercion to convert to Christianity.

Please pray for Pastor Ugyen while he is in prison. Pray for his health, and that he will be able to effectively minister while he's behind bars. Pray also for the other believers living in Bhutan. Pray for their protection, strength to endure persecution, and discernment on how to share the Good News with those around them.

‘देशफिर्तीको लागि सहायता देऊ’

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:09 PM PST

सन् २०१० को विश्व मानवाधिकार दिवसकै अवसरको संयोग पारेर झापा र मोरंगमा रहेका भूटानीहरूले तत्काल तथा सम्मानित स्वदेशफिर्तीका निम्ति नेपाल सरकार र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय समुदायसमक्ष सहायताको लागि अग्रह गरेका छन् ।  सोही अवसरमा झापा र मोरंगका सातवटा शरणार्थी शिविरहरूमा दिसम्बर १० का दिन मानवाधिकार सम्बन्धी विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरू आयोजन गरिएको पनि समाचार छ ।

यसैबीच ह्यूरोन (नेपाल मानवाधिकार संघ)-को झापा शाखाले दमकमा एउटा कार्यक्रम आयोजना गरी नेपालमा रहेका भूटानीहरूको समस्याबारे सचेतनाको पहल गरेको छ । झापाका जिल्ला प्रशासन अधिकारी शशिशेखर श्रेष्ठको सभापतित्वमा सम्पन्न सो कार्यक्रमको औपचारिकता शुरु हुन भन्दाअघि आयोजित प्रदर्शनीमा डा. भम्पा राईलगायतका विभिन्न संघ-संगठनका प्रतिनिधि र जेष्ठ नागरिक भूटानीहरूले पनि सहभागिता जनाएका थिए ।

कार्यक्रममा केही वक्ताहरूले शरणार्थी तेस्रो देश पुनर्वाश योजनाले कैयौंका पारिवारिक विभाजन भएर भूटानीहरू पीड़ित भइरहेका गुनासो गरे भने अन्य केहीले तत्काल स्वदेशफिर्तीको माग राखे । सो अवसरमा जिल्ला अधिकारी श्रेष्ठले भने सबै भूटानीहरूको स्वदेश फर्कने अधिकार सुरक्षित रहेको र नेपाल सरकारले भूटानसित सो सम्बन्धमा पहल गरिरहेको बताए । उनले भने,''तर भूटानले कुनै पक्षमा पनि आफ्नो वचन पूरा गरेको छैन ।''   

यसरी नै भूटानी नेता डा.भम्पा राईले यूएनएचसीआरले भूटानीहरूलाई शरणार्थी शिविर छोड्नमात्र दवाब दिइरहेको आरोपसहित गुनासो व्यक्त गरे भने सोही अवसरमा बोल्दै नेपाल मानवाधिकार संघका केन्द्रिय सदस्य डा.के.पी. सुवेदीले लामो समयदेखि गाड़ा घाउ बनेर रहेको शरणार्थी समस्या तत्काल सुल्झाउन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय समुदायले ठोस पहल गर्नुपर्नेमा जोड़ दिएका छन् ।

(भूटान समाचार सेवाका लागि दमकबाट जितेन सुब्बा)

कार्यकर्ता पक्राउः यूआरएफबीद्वारा अस्वीकार

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:07 PM PST

भूमिगत भूटानी सशस्त्र संगठन यूआरएफबी-ले गत सोमबार मोरंगको सुन्दरपूरबाट आफ्ना दुईजना कार्यकर्ता पक्राउ परेको कुरालाई अस्वीकार गरेको छ ।

विभिन्न स्थानीय सञ्चारमाध्यमहरूमा सो सम्बन्धमा समाचार बाहिर आएपछि यूआरएफबी-ले विज्ञप्तिमार्फत अस्वीकृति जनाएको हो । ''सोमबार पक्राउ परेदेखि मोरंगको बेलबारी प्रहरीको हिरासतमा रहेका सोनाम दोर्जी र खड्गबहादुर नाम गरेका दुईजना शरणार्थीको यूआऱएफबीसँग कुनै आधिकारिक सम्बनध छैन'',संगठनद्वारा बिहीबार जारी विज्ञप्तिमा भनिएको छ ।

तर, अचम्मको कुरो के छ भने तीनवटा सञ्चार सेट, २१ वटा नाइलनको गोली र दुईवटा मोबाइल सेटसँग सुन्दरपुरबाट पक्रा परेका ती दुई शरणार्थी युवकले आफूहरू भूटानमा सशस्त्र विद्रोहको लक्ष्यमा क्रियाशील यूआरबीएफबीका कार्यककर्ता रहेको बताएका प्रहरीले जनाएको छ ।

बन्दी रिहाईको लागि विश्वव्यापी अभियान

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:05 PM PST

समुद्र पारिका विभिन्न देशमा पुगेका भूटानीहरूले ६२ औं विश्व-मानवाधिकार दिवसको संयोग पारेर भूटानी राजनीतिक बन्दीहरूको मुक्तिका लागि विश्वव्यापी अभियान सञ्चालन गरेका छन् । पश्चिमा मुलुकका विभिन्न क्षेत्रमा क्रियाशील भूटान समाचार सेवाका प्रतिनिधिहरूले जनाएअनुसार भूटानका कैदखानामा रहेका सयौं राजनीतिक बन्दीहरूको पीड़ातर्फ चासो दिँदै तत्काल रिहाइको निम्ति पहल गरिदिन आग्रहसहित सयौं भूटानीहरूले समूहगत तथा व्यक्तिगत रूपमा विश्वभरिका अनेकौं अधिकारवादी संघ-संगठन र संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघीय महासचिव वान कि मूनलाई समेत ज्ञापन पत्र बुझाएका छन् ।  

यस सम्बन्धमा नेदरल्याण्डबाट प्राप्त जानकारीअनुसार त्यहाँका भूटानीहरूको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै एउटा सात सदस्यीय टोलीले त्यहाँको संसदमा वैदेशिक शाखा हेर्ने समितिका सदस्यहरूलाई भेटी भूटानी राजनीतिक बन्दीहरूको अवस्थातर्फ तत्काल चासो देखाइदिन आग्रसहित ज्ञापन पत्र बुझाएको छ ।

यूरोपका नोरवे, नेदरल्याण्ड, डेनमार्क, जर्मनीलगायत बेलायतमा बस्ने भूटानीहरूले राजबन्दीको मुक्तिका लागि सञ्चालित सो अभियानमा सक्रियता देखाएका छन् भने यसरी नै अमेरिका, अष्ट्रेलिया, क्यानाडा र पूर्व एशियाको फिलिपिन्ससमेतबाट भूटानीहरूले सो अभियानमा योगदान पुर्याएका छन् ।