(Mission Network News) — In a new report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom says anti-conversion laws are on the rise in South Asia. The USCIRF is calling on the U.S. government to work with South Asian allies and “[apply] pressure on governments to rescind laws that deny individuals the right to share and choose their religion freely.”
The USCIRF report highlights anti-conversion legislation in five South Asian nations: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. As outlined here, concerns for Nepal center on stricter regulations for International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and a recently-implemented anti-conversion law:
“The true impact of the law will emerge as the law begins to be implemented. Many Christian groups, though, are concerned about the potential impact on non-Hindu religious groups.”
According to John Puidate of Bibles For The World, some believers are already facing intense pressure. In certain districts, “Christians are being persecuted more than ever before,” he reports.
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