Nepal: Seven Arrested Over Religious Conversion Accusations
By UCA News
Seven people, including proprietors of two private schools, were arrested June 9 in Dolakha district, Nepal, accused of converting others to Christianity because they were distributing Bible handbooks to children.
Those arrested were the principals of Mount Valley Boarding School and Modern Nepal School and some of the staff of Teach Nepal, a Christian voluntary organization.
Both principals are Christians and organize extra curriculum activities for their students as a part of their school program.
They had distributed a handkerchief and the handbook named “A Great Story” to 885 students.
Sources told ucanews.com that local politicians had informed the police about this and are pressing charges for allegedly committing act of religious conversion by preaching to young school children, prohibited by the Article 26 (3) of the 2015 Nepalese Constitution.
The article states that no person shall convert a person of one religion to another religion or conduct acts that may jeopardize other’s religion.
Those arrested have been “forced” to undertake a verbal commitment not to repeat such acts in the future if they wanted to be released, sources said.
A group of leaders from Nepal Christian Society are on their way from Kathmandu to Dolakha to visit local government officials while another group of church leaders are expected to meet Home Ministry officials for the early release of those arrested.
