E/CN.4/1995/91 page 22 resolutions passed during the Thirtieth Session in 1969 and the Fifty-first Session in 1979. The Seventy-first Session of the National Assembly directed the District Development Committees to deal with such matters in accordance with these resolutions. The essence of these resolutions is that, while a person can practise any religion privately in his home, attempts to convert others to a different faith are strictly forbidden. On 25 December 1992, Christian families in Tsirang gathered in Tshokhana and Kikorthang gewogs to celebrate Christmas. In Kikorthang more than 50 Christians had gathered in the house of Dal Bahadur Rai of Salami village. After prayers were said, a dance and drama programme was staged. The village volunteers who were patrolling the area round 6 p.m. to guard their villages against terrorist raids asked the Christians to disperse before dark. The Christians refused and a quarrel broke out. The village volunteers reported the matter to the gup who sent the male Christians with the volunteers to the Dzongda. The Dzongda told the Christians that it was not advisable to move about at night because of the disturbed situation and the threat of terrorist raids. He advised them to go back to their villages. In Tshokhana the celebrations were carried out in the house of Shivalal Gurbachan at upper Tshokhana. After prayers inside the house, the Christians who had congregated from nearby villages and other gewogs, staged religious dramas and danced in the open ground outside the house. Tape recorders played songs at full volume. Village volunteers who were patrolling the area round 8.30 p.m. asked the Christian families to stop the celebrations and disperse as the gathering was unauthorized. The families refused and a heated argument ensued. The matter was brought to the attention of the gup who reminded the families that according to the National Assembly resolutions they should practise their religion privately and not publicly. No person in connection with the two incidents was beaten up or interrogated as alleged. Nor was any action taken against any of the Christians. No Christian family was forced to apply for permission to leave the country and no one was expelled on 5 February 1993 as alleged. It is surprising how Christians from Tsirang could have sought refuge in Nepal on 13 February 1993, as the applications of those Christians who did apply for emigration were confirmed and endorsed by the DYT only on 19 May 1993. The first applications by Christians to emigrate were submitted on 6 January 1993, by four Christian families. They were followed by several more applications. On 19 May 1993, the District Development Committee sought confirmation from each of the applicants as to whether they still wished to emigrate. On receiving further information from the applicants the DYT endorsed their applications to emigrate. It was only subsequent to this that 9 families and 22 individuals emigrated and left Tsirang. A total of 102 Christians have left Tsirang. Among them are Dal Jit Rai of Beechgaon village under Dunglagang gewog, Harka Bahadur Ghimerey of Salami village under Kikorthang gewog, Bhim Bahadur Mongar of