Religious Freedom in Bhutan

Religious freedom in Bhutan is constitutionally guaranteed but operates within a framework that privileges Buddhism, specifically the Drukpa Kagyu school. While the 2008 Constitution declares the King the "protector of all religions," Buddhism functions as the de facto state religion, receiving government funding, institutional support, and legal protection that other faiths do not enjoy equally. Proselytization is prohibited by law, and non-Buddhist communities — particularly Christians and, to a lesser extent, Hindus — face restrictions on worship, organizational registration, and the construction of places of worship.

Constitutional and Legal Framework

Article 7, Section 4 of the 2008 Constitution states that "a Bhutanese citizen shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion." However, Article 7, Section 4 also stipulates that "no person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement." This anti-coercion clause has been interpreted broadly by courts and authorities to prohibit proselytization of any kind, effectively criminalizing missionary activity.^[1]

The Religious Organizations Act of 2007 requires all religious groups to register with the Commission for Religious Organizations (CRO) in order to operate with legal identity. The stated purpose is to "benefit religious institutions and protect the spiritual heritage of Bhutan." In practice, Buddhist organizations have encountered few obstacles in registration, while Christian groups have reported persistent difficulties obtaining approval. The CRO, chaired by a senior Buddhist monk, oversees religious affairs and approves the construction of religious buildings.^[2]

Privileged Status of Buddhism

The Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Vajrayana Buddhism together claim the adherence of approximately 75 percent of the population. Buddhism pervades state institutions: the Je Khenpo (chief abbot) holds a position roughly equivalent to the Prime Minister in protocol, the Central Monk Body receives direct government funding, and Buddhist ceremonies accompany official state functions. The Driglam Namzha code of etiquette, which mandates behavioral and dress norms rooted in Buddhist tradition, is enforced across all ethnic groups.

The government funds the construction and maintenance of Buddhist monasteries, temples, and stupas throughout the country. By contrast, no comparable state funding exists for non-Buddhist religious institutions. The U.S. State Department has noted that the government "discouraged both large and small religious gatherings of non-Buddhists" and "did not allow construction of non-Buddhist places of worship" without special permission, which has rarely been granted.^[1]

Hinduism

Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Bhutan, practiced primarily by the Lhotshampa communities of southern Bhutan, who are ethnically Nepali. The government states that it supports Hindu temples in the south and provides scholarships for Hindu students to study Sanskrit in India. A Hindu Devi Panchayan Temple in Thimphu, funded by the government and approved by the King, was consecrated in 2019.

However, Lhotshampa advocacy groups and international observers have noted that the government rarely grants permission to build new Hindu temples; according to Minority Rights Group International, the last such permission prior to the Thimphu temple was granted in the early 1990s. The expulsion of over 100,000 Lhotshampa in the early 1990s significantly reduced the Hindu population, and refugee associations have argued that anti-Hindu sentiment was one dimension of the broader ethnic cleansing campaign.^[3]

Christianity

The Christian community in Bhutan is small, estimated at 2,000 to 15,000 adherents depending on the source, with most belonging to evangelical Protestant denominations. No Christian organization has successfully registered under the Religious Organizations Act, which constrains their ability to build churches, hold public worship services, or operate openly.

Several criminal prosecutions have targeted Christians under the anti-proselytization provisions. In 2010, Prem Singh Gurung was sentenced to three years in prison for screening Christian films in villages, charged with "attempting to promote civil unrest." In 2006, Benjamin Dhunigana and John Dai were sentenced to three-and-a-half and three years respectively for proselytizing. In 2014, pastors Tandin Wangyal and Mon Thapa were detained for conducting an unauthorized religious gathering and showing a film without media certification.^[4]

The U.S. State Department has consistently noted these restrictions in its annual International Religious Freedom Reports, citing the inability of Christian groups to register, hold open services, or build churches.

Freedom House and International Assessments

Freedom House rated Bhutan's religious freedom at 2 out of 4 in its 2024 assessment, noting that while the constitution protects freedom of religion, "local authorities are known to harass non-Buddhists and people have experienced pressure to participate in Buddhist ceremonies and practices." In its 2025 report, Freedom House upgraded Bhutan's overall status from "Partly Free" to "Free" but continued to note religious freedom limitations.^[5]

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) have both submitted documentation to the UN Universal Periodic Review process highlighting concerns about Bhutan's proselytization ban, restrictions on non-Buddhist registration, and the dominant role of Buddhism in public life.^[6]

Government Perspective

The Bhutanese government maintains that its policies protect national unity and the country's Buddhist heritage without infringing on individuals' private religious beliefs. Officials have argued that the proselytization ban applies equally to all faiths and is intended to prevent social conflict in a small, religiously homogeneous society. The government has pointed to the existence of Hindu temples in the south, the Thimphu Hindu temple, and the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom as evidence of its commitment to tolerance.

A 2025 article in The World from PRX examined how Bhutan "keeps religion and politics from mixing," describing a system in which Buddhist institutions are influential but monks are barred from political activity, and religious diversity is acknowledged but not encouraged.^[7]

See Also

• Driglam Namzha
• Drukpa Kagyu
• Lhotshampa
• Hinduism in Bhutan
• Forced Cultural Assimilation in Bhutan

References

1. 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Bhutan — U.S. Department of State
2. Freedom of religion in Bhutan — Wikipedia
3. Bhutan — Minority Rights Group International
4. Bhutan: Christian sentenced to three years for proselytizing — AsiaNews
5. Bhutan: Freedom in the World 2025 — Freedom House
6. ECLJ Submission, UPR 47th Session: Bhutan — UPR Info
7. How a deeply Buddhist Bhutan keeps religion and politics from mixing — The World from PRX