Burmese president Thein Sein has been criticised by human rights associations for approving a draft Bill on 3 December curbing conversion to other religions and marriages between Buddhist women and men of other religions.
Initially proposed by nationalist Buddhist monks who form the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion – a group also known as Ma Ba Tha – the Bill was signed and submitted to Parliament for final approval.
If approved, the new Bill will force anyone who converts to a different religion to seek a range of permissions from the authorities or face penalties (not yet stipulated). And if a Buddhist woman wishes to marry a man from another religion, she must first apply to local authorities for permission. A public notice of the engagement will be produced and only if no objections are made can the couple get married.
Discriminatory
Opponents of the Bill have criticised it on the basis that it is discriminatory towards women and religious minorities. The proposed restrictions on changing religion would also affect Buddhists who want to convert to Christianity. Speaking out on the subject, the Archbishop of Yangon said that ‘the right to marry, convert and vote are inviolable human rights’.
