Committee on bills under the legislature parliament of Nepal has proposed some of the new bills as a process of amendment of existing laws. Religious issue is one among them. The bills on integration and amendment of existing laws on Criminal offense – 2071 has proposed very undemocratic provision that directly violets human rights. The following provisions has been proposed in its section 9, article 156
156. Religious conversion
1. No one should involve or encourage in conversion of religion.
2. No one should convert a person from one religion to another religion or profess them own religion and belief with similar intention by using or not using any means of attraction and by disturbing religion or belief of any ethnic groups or community that being practiced since ancient times.
3. If found guilty; there will be punishment of five years of imprisonment and penalty of fifty thousand rupees.
4. If foreigners are found guilty; they will have to be deported within seven days after completing thesentence of imprisonment mentioned in third clause.
In such a context, it’s been informed that various religious leaders have criticized this proposal. On 12 Feb 2016, legislature parliament has issues a notice for citizens, stakeholders and civil society organizations to provide feedback by 12 April 2016.
unofficial full translation of section 19 is as follow:
Bills on integration and amendment of existing laws on Criminal offense
(On progress)
Registered at the parliament on 15 Oct. 2014 by Narahari Acharya, then Ministry of Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs of Nepal (Central committee member of Nepali Congress Party), Distributed on: 18 Oct 2014, Presented at the parliament on: 2 Nov 2014, General discussion held on: 3 Nov 2014, Sent to committee: 9 Nov 2014.
Section 9
Offence Regarding Religion
153. Religious/holy place
1. No one should damage, hate or insult or other related act on religious belief or holy places or pollute graveyards of any ethnic groups or community intentionally.
2. If found guilty; there will be punishment of three years of imprisonment and penalty of thirty thousand rupees.
3. If foreigners are found guilty; they will have to be deported within seven days after completion of imprisonment mentioned in first clause.
154. Religious sentiments
1. No one should stab religious sentiments of any caste, community or ethnic groups by using texts, writing, verbal, symbols or any other means.
2. If found guilty; there will be punishment of three years of imprisonment and penalty of thirty thousand rupees.
155. Religious traditions
1. No one should create any kind of obstacles in religious tradition of other faith being practiced since ancient times.
2. If found guilty; there will be punishment of one year of imprisonment or penalty of ten thousand rupees or both.
156. Religious conversion
1. No one should involve or encourage in conversion of religion.
2. No one should convert a person from one religion to another religion or profess them own religion and belief with similar intention by using or not using any means of attraction and by disturbing religion or belief of any ethnic groups or community that being practiced since ancient times.
3. If found guilty; there will be punishment of five years of imprisonment and penalty of fifty thousand rupees.
4. If foreigners are found guilty; they will have to be deported within seven days after completing of imprisonment mentioned in third clause.
157. Statute of limitations
1. Filing of lawsuit is not valid after six months from the date of knowledge of offence committed for article
Such status of limitation will be three months from the day of offence committed for rest of the articles of this section.
Download the full document in Nepali
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