Nepal's Christians fear new law could outlaw religious conversions

(June 27, 2011) Christians in Nepal have expressed alarm at a draft for a new criminal code put before parliament last week that could see the return of a ban on religious conversions. The law and justice ministry, in consultation with judges, presented the drafts of new criminal and civil codes of law to parliament on Thursday. The new codes follow a four-year review by a government committee to revamp outdated civil and penal codes. However, they contain provisions to re-criminalize evangelization and religious conversion, effectively renouncing secularism which the Himalayan country declared in 2006 and returning to its former status as the world’s only Hindu state. Article 160 of the proposed criminal code would prohibit any act which may cause a person to convert from a traditional community or faith to another, and would carry hefty fines and imprisonment for up to five years. According to Caritas Nepal’s director, Father Silas Bogati, he and the regional superior of the Nepal Jesuit Society, as well as other Christian leaders, have been meeting with ambassadors from various countries and also national leaders to express Christian concerns over the draft code. The United Christian Alliance of Nepal, meanwhile, held an emergency meeting at the National Council of Churches office in Kathmandu during the weekend, issuing a statement which highlighted Christian fears. Nepal currently has an interim constitution that provides for a Constituent Assembly, which is charged with writing a new constitution. The body has missed two earlier deadlines and has been given until August 28 to present a draft.