The small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, with a population of just under 880,000, can justifiably be described as one of the most isolated countries in the world. It maintains close diplomatic relations with only three other states that have an embassy in the country: India, Bangladesh and Kuwait. In the case of the first two, this is not surprising, as they are direct (or in the case of Bangladesh almost direct) neighbors and Bhutan’s most important trading partners. Kuwait, on the other hand, is the surprising third country in the short list: Here, the close personal relations between the Bhutanese and Kuwaiti royal families are the reason for the close ties between the two countries at the official diplomatic level.

One of the main reasons for Bhutan’s very limited international involvement, which the government is deliberately so restrained and cautious about, is the tension with its northern mega-Neighbour China (about 1.4 billion inhabitants), which is putting pressure on the small kingdom. There have been border disputes between Bhutan and China for decades, but their real cause lies in the ongoing disputes between the two superpowers over the course of their borders since the Sino-Indian border war in 1962. The focus is mainly on the northern Indian Arunachal Pradesh (AP) state, which China claims as “southern Tibet”. Only the 20-mile narrow Siliguri Corridor connects India’s large territory with Arunachal Pradesh. If China gains control of the corridor, 45 million Indians would be isolated in an area roughly equivalent to the United Kingdom. Beijing’s actions in the disputed Bhutanese-Chinese border region immediately north of the Siliguri Corridor are therefore being watched with greater attention from the Indian side.

ISHR President Schirrmacher, his wife Prof. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher, and ISHR Secretary General Boehning meet Foreign Minister Dr. Dorji.

With regards to the coexistence of religions in the predominantly Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, complete religious freedom prevails, according to official statements. Everyone is allowed to practice their religion freely and without discrimination. However, experts and observers are divided on whether this adequately reflects the perceived reality of life for the estimated 30,000–40,000 Christians and other religious minorities in the country. It is true that there have been no incidents of religiously motivated violence in the recent past, that there are publicly known churches in the capital Thimphu and that one of the ministers in the government cabinet is a Christian. However, the ISHR will verify and continuously monitor, as far as possible, whether the government’s assurance that there is “no religious persecution in the whole country” is true and correct through further talks with religious minorities.

In mid-September, ISHR President Thomas Schirrmacher and ISHR Secretary General Matthias K. Boehning visited the Kingdom of Bhutan and met, among others, with the Bhutanese Foreign Minister, Dr. Tandi Dorji, in the capital Thimphu. It was agreed to maintain and strengthen the established channels of communication, especially regarding issues concerning the religious minorities in the country. ISHR President Prof. Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher suggested that the Christian minority in Bhutan should also be included in these talks to draw on their experience and insights. Foreign Minister Dr. Dorji was very open for this, emphasizing that he was aware – especially because he belonged to the majority religion – that he did not know how life in Bhutan felt as a religious minority. If there were grievances, he said, he could be approached and promised to listen, be willing to learn and initiate concrete measures to improve the circumstances.

Matthias K. Boehning
ISHR Secretary General