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Situation of Christian Youth and Children in Bhutan
No Objection Certificates (NOC)/ Police Clearance
Certificates/
Security Clearance Certificate
Christians in southern Bhutan are required
to produce a Security Clearance Certificate (SCC) ( previously called as
"No Objection Certificate" (NOC) or Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) )
from the police authorities for admission of their children to schools,
acquiring travel document, bank loans, trade and business license,
promotion in the civil services, recruitment and getting jobs, stating
that that no member ( even distant relatives) of her/his family is
involved in the activities not like by the government.
The authorities do not issue the NOC/PCC/SCC to the Christian believer’s
family, as their religion is not liked by the government. The government
has used the requirement of NOC or PCC/SCC to effectively coerce the
citizens to submission
This requirement of NOC/PCC/SCC bars the Christian from acquiring any
facilities available through the State. This NOC/PCC/SCC are required for
admission of children to schools, acquiring travel document, scholarship,
medical treatment outside Bhutan, bank loans, trade and business license,
promotion in the civil services, recruitment in the government and other
jobs. Which means that the Christians are denied all of the above as
penalties for practicing the Christian faith.
Through the introduction of this draconian
rule, the government has effectively deprived several thousand Christian
children and youth, the right to education by denying them admission to
schools, colleges and applying for government scholarship. No civilized
society can bear the accusation of a six year child denied the right to
education, a penalty the child is made to pay for the convictions, right or
wrong, of older relatives.
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