In this April 8, 2014 photo, Buddhist devotees carry their sons and nephews to circumambulate the Shwedagon pagoda in hopes of earning a blessing from Buddha ahead of their ordination as Buddhist monks, in Yangon, Myanmar.(AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar’s government is trying to measure public support for a religious conversion bill put forward by nationalist Buddhist monks that would require anyone who wants to convert to another faith to get permission from local authorities.
If passed, anyone found guilty of proselytizing could face up to a year in prison.
The Associated Press reports on the draft bill proposed by a coalition of monks and lay people known as the Organization for the Protection of Race, Religion and Belief.