E/CN.4/1998/6
page 15
(d)
In Austria, Portugal, Slovakia and The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the duration of alternative service is such as to be punitive in
nature, according to reports from more than one source;
(e)
In Slovakia there have been reports of conscientious objectors
being sent to prison.
62.
The freedom to change one's religion is also being violated:
(a)
In Qatar and Kuwait, according to allegations based on several
sources, the conversion of a Muslim to another religion is strictly prohibited
and in Qatar it is punishable by death;
(b)
drafted;
In India and Israel, legislation banning conversion has been
(c)
In Egypt, a Muslim who had converted to Christianity was
reportedly arrested and interrogated in order to force him to give information
about the activities of converts;
(d)
In India, a Hindu who converted to Christianity is said to have
been attacked by Hindu extremists;
(e)
In Iraq, a young Christian woman was reportedly forced to marry a
Muslim and convert to Islam;
(f)
In Myanmar, there are reports that the army has tried to conduct
campaigns to convert Christians in the State of Chin to Buddhism. In
one monastery, children are said to have been forced to repeat Buddhist
prayers every day and some parents are said to have been paid sums of money in
exchange.
63.
The fourth category concerns violations of the freedom to manifest one's
religion or belief:
(a)
In Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Mozambique, Myanmar,
Nigeria, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Uzbekistan, there are allegations
that the authorities have imposed controls on, and/or interfered illegally
with, the religious activities of all or certain religious groups and
communities;
(b)
In Georgia and Romania, the national Orthodox Church is said to be
trying to restrict the activities of other religious groups and communities;
(c)
In Brunei Darussalam, the Comoros, Kuwait, Mauritania, Oman,
Qatar, Somalia and Yemen, according to more than one source, any proselytizing
of Muslims by non-Muslims is forbidden. In Azerbaijan, there is reportedly a
law forbidding any proselytizing activity by non-nationals. In Bulgaria,
Jehovah's Witnesses are said to have been arrested, detained, mistreated,
convicted or expelled because of their proselytizing activities;
(d)
In Kuwait, Oman, Uzbekistan and Yemen, according to several
sources, the local publication of non-Muslim religious material is prohibited,