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Tuesday, January 13, 2004 |
Christmas in Laos (MLHR)
Ten Christians arrested in the province of Attapeu
Christmas 2003 celebrations was marked by a new campaing of religious repression in the
Lao People’s Democratic Republic ( LPDR). Eleven Christians were arrested by the communist authorities on 27 and 28 December 2003 in several villages of the district of Sanamsay, province of Attapeu (South), according to reliable informations received by the Lao Movement for the Humans Rights (LMHR). More than ten other Christians are currently sought by the local police, in this same province, for having organized meetings of prayers on Christmas time .
Thus, in spite of several official declarations from leaders of the One Party State, the programmed repression on religious minorities, started 28 years ago when the Communist Party came to power in 1975, continues with this beginning of 2004, especially in the province of Attapeu where many ethnic minorities of Laos live.
According to informations obtained by the LMHR, five Christians were arrested on 27 December 2003 at Kang village (district of Sanamsay) simply for having prayed together. They are Messrs. THONGSAVATH, VIRASONE, KEOPHONG, KHAMSOU, SOMPHINE and BOUNTHONG. On the same day and for the same reasons, Mr. HAMMONE, was arrested at Somsouk village.
On 28 December 2003, at Donephay village, always in the district of Sanamsay, three other Christians -- Messrs. VIRACHONE, THONG-UANG and THAO PHONG -- were arrested while they were praying in their home. Mr. VIRACHONE had already been jailed many times for having refused to give up his faith. On the same day, Mr SIAN, a fourth person, was arrested at Sanamsay district, also for religious practice.
After having been conducted to the district, then to the provincial Religious Affairs Office, the eleven Christians, mostly from the Khmu and Oey ethnic minority, were imprisoned and their Bibles confiscated.
Repression goes on in the district of Sanamsay. Over ten Christians, wanted by the authorities, have fled towards Pakse to escape arrests, among whom parish leaders, such as Messrs.
BOUKEO and his son SENG, KHAMSUAK, SOUVANSAY and VONGSITH from Kang village,
Mr. CHANYARK from Dongsua village, Mr. VANSAY from Dong Soung village, Mr SINOUN and Mr BOUNSOUK from Donaphad village.
The LMHR condemns these new violations on basic rights of the Lao people, and solemnly asks the LPDR authorities to cease immediately all repression against the religious and ethnic minorities in Laos, and to release without conditions all people emprisonned for their opinions or their belief.
The LMHR denounces with force the lack of sincerity and the double language of the LPDR leaders, who keep on denying all human rights violations by the régime while using religious freedom as a currency exchange and a strategy to obtain international assistance.
Consequently, the LMHR urges donators countries and organizations , in particular the European Union and its Member States, the United Nations, the United States and the International Financial Institutions, to accentuate their pressure, including economic on the Laotian totalitarian régime, so that freedom of belief and human rights are fully respected in this country.
7:23:07 PM 
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VIETNAM: IMPORTANT CASE NEEDS URGENT PRAYER
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On Tuesday 13 January 2004, Pastor Bui Van Ba, General Secretary of
the Full Gospel House Church in Vietnam, will stand trial in a
People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City on a contrived charge of
'interfering with an officer doing his duty'. Under Vietnam's legal
system, Pastor Ba's legal advisors are not permitted to help defend
him. However, Christians in Vietnam are planning to attend the
trial in large numbers. They have also urged members of Western
consulates and embassies as well as foreign journalists to witness
it - if they are permitted to attend.
The charge stems from Pastor Ba's concern to get his ailing wife,
Mrs May, to hospital in the midst of a violent police raid on a
prayer meeting in his home on 18 August 2003. Mrs May was knocked
to the ground by the police as they invaded the house, later
fainting with severe chest pains. When the police refused Pastor
Ba's plea, the believers implored them to let him leave with his
wife. At this, the police violently attacked Pastor Ba, restraining
his children and beating him brutally. They had already assaulted
Christians present and beaten a Pastor Hanh's head into a concrete
wall. Pastor Ba, Pastor Hanh and several of the believers were then
taken to the police station. (Eventually one of the other believers
was allowed to take Mrs May to the emergency ward of the hospital.)
At the police station Pastor Ba was chained to a post and beaten by
police. He was then stripped and locked in a cell for 36 hours
without food, water or a blanket. The seven believers arrested with
the pastors were charged with administrative offences and released
after being detained for 12 hours. The two pastors were released
from prison on 19 August 2003 and placed under house arrest.
The Centre for Religious Freedom (Washington) reports that on 5
January 2004, leaders of the 21 house church organisations of the
Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship published a four-page 'letter of
protest' which they addressed to foreign embassies, domestic and
foreign mass media, and human rights organisations. They are
calling for the dismissal of all charges against Pastor Ba, and for
action to be taken against the police and security officials who
attacked the pastor and other church attenders. These Christian
leaders have done this knowing they risk reprisals.
The Rev. Pham Dinh Nhan has called on the Christians in the Vietnam
Evangelical Fellowship to fast and pray from 12 through 14 January
for justice for Pastor Ba.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* justice to be done at Pastor Ba's trial and that the police and
officials who acted criminally will be charged.
* God to protect the courageous Christian leaders who have greatly
risked their own safety by publicly protesting this injustice and
drawing attention to abuse of religious liberty in Vietnam.
* the Holy Spirit to burn within all suffering, grieving,
frightened, imprisoned Vietnamese believers, counselling them
(John 14:16), comforting them (2 Cor 1:3) and strengthening them
(Isaiah 40:31).
* all the suffering connected with this case to be used by God,
redeemed for his glory and purpose and result in the eventual
blessing of the Church in Vietnam.
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Prayer List <rl-prayer@crossnet.org.au>
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6:21:47 PM
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Turkish Christian Makes Slow Improvement Following Brutal Beating (Compass)
After being beaten into a coma three months ago for alleged “missionary propaganda,” Turkish Christian Yakup Cindilli has been slowly improving from a nearly helpless state. Cindilli, 32, was hospitalized the third week of October after four men linked with the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) beat him severely on his head and face for distributing New Testaments and “doing missionary work.” At a court hearing on December 17, about 60 MHP sympathizers gathered outside the courthouse in a show of support for two of Cindilli’s assailants who remain in jail. Metin Yildiran, president of the local MHP chapter, was released at an earlier court hearing. The crowd of sympathizers began shouting angrily when they learned that the defendants had been remanded back to jail custody following the hearing because, a defense lawyer stated, there was “hard evidence” against them. Cindilli, discharged on December 2 from the intensive care unit of Bursa State Hospital shortly after he began to emerge from total unconsciousness, is now at his family’s home and starting to speak, although he is still unable to care for himself, his attending doctor confirmed
Copyright 2004 Compass Direct
6:18:03 PM
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© 2004 Radio Free China
Last Update: 4/4/2004; 9:35:00 AM
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