CHRISTIANS
IN LAOS THREATENED WITH DEATH OR EVICTION
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
CHRISTIANS IN LAOS THREATENED WITH DEATH OR
EVICTION
By Jeremy Reynalds
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
LAOS (ANS) -- Christians in Laos have been told they
will be killed if they do not abandon their faith.
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Christians in one village
were told by a Laos government official at a village meeting, “If don’t give
up your faith or leave the village, you will be punished by death.”
The ultimatum was delivered at a Feb. 19 meeting in Southern Laos.
CSW reported that pleading for help, a Christian in the village wrote, “The
officials' purpose is to totally eradicate Christianity. They are threatening to
destroy ... and to burn our homes. We are not able to travel anywhere. We are
kept (confined). They keep watch on us. If we do not move from our village, they
said they would kill us because the whole village agrees with them.”
Christians in Laos are very concerned by these threats as believers are often
mistreated and significant numbers have been thrown into prison for their
beliefs.
According to CSW, Tong-luang, a school teacher, was arrested on March 4 at his
home in Donphai village in the Sanamchai District, because of his refusal to
give up his faith. Tong-luang had been arrested previously with two others at a
Christmas prayer meeting in Donphai village on Dec. 28 2003. All three were
released in Jan. 2004.
Bounsouk (Manien), a Christian, has also been a target for the attacks and was
allegedly nearly run over by an official on a motorbike in Feb. He has had his
land confiscated and officials confiscated his pigs, his major source of making
a living.
According to CSW, Donthapad village chief Mr. Somsuak, is fining Manien and
another believer, Mr. Silanon, 900,000 kips for not abandoning their Christian
faith. They have allegedly been told if they do not pay soon, the village chief
will take over their property and burn their homes. Mr. Silanon was already
recently fined 150,000 kips by the village chief for his Christian faith.
CSW has a copy of an official letter of expulsion signed by a Laotian government
official relating to a separate incident. It reads, “The chief of the village
Donsung, Udomsouk sub-district, Sanamchai district, Attopue province, has issued
this letter of expulsion to one of his villagers, because she got married to a
man who had adopted the (Christian) religion. Therefore, the people’s
organization of the village met and came to a unanimous agreement to have her
leave the village along with her husband, because the villagers do not want
anybody of the (Christian) religion here.”
Christians in Laos have been subject to a particularly harsh wave of persecution
since 1998, CSW reported. Many have been imprisoned and widespread pressure and
persecution has been implemented across the country. Believers have been coerced
and forced to sign forms abandoning their religion. Some have been forced to
prove that they have given up their faith by participating in animist rituals,
smoking and drinking alcohol and blood. International attention has helped bring
about a reduction in the pressure on believers, but persecution continues. CSW
is asking those concerned about this situation to contact their congressional
representative and urge them to raise concerns about religious freedom in Laos.
CSW Advocacy Director Alexa Papadouris said, “These latest threats against
Christians in Laos are deeply concerning. That Christians should be threatened
with death and have their means of livelihood confiscated simply for standing
true to their religious convictions is an outrage. We have been encouraged by
progress over religious freedom in Laos over the last year,
but these recent incidents are a serious setback and a reminder of the
vulnerability of Christians to drastic and arbitrary treatment for adhering to
their faith.”
According to the Laos Virtual Library (ww.global.lao.net/laoVL.html),
“Laos is the least developed Asian landlocked country, surrounded by China in
the north, Burma to the north-west, Thailand in the south-west, Cambodia
(Kampuchia) in the south-east, and Vietnam to the east.
“After 600 years of being a monarchy, at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975,
Laos has been ruled by a one-party Communist Government. Although Laos is
opening its door to the West, under the 1991 constitution, Laos continues to be
a one-party centralized system as specified in the constitution in Article 3:
‘The rights of the multi-ethnic people to be the masters of the country are
exercised and ensured through the functioning of the political system with the
Lao People's Revolutionary Party as its leading nucleus.’”
THERE IS NOT ONE CHRISTIAN NATION ON EARTH WHERE MUSLIMS ARE PERSECUTED.
Yet in most nations where the majority of the population are Muslims, there is systematic government persecution of Christians.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
--Article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of
Human
Rights--
Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
Core Universal Rights
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief