|
Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom |
Breaking News and Reports:: |
Official Crackdown on Lao Churches Now Spreads to Phin District of Savannakhet Approximately 10:00 A.M. on May 11, 2012, the Phin district authorities in Savannakhet province, consisting district chief, district police and district religious affairs chief, summoned two Lao prominent church leaders (Pastor Bounlerd and Pastor Adang) to police headquarters for questioning and ordered them to stop sharing the Christian faith to others and take down Christian crosses from the exterior walls of their homes. Read Full Article Lao Authorities Arrested a Lao Student and Six Thai Christians for Participating in Worship A Lao student and six Thai Christians are still being jailed for participating in worship services in Luang Namtha district of Luang Namtha province. On March 24, 2012, Lao police went to Tribal School in Phonsawang village and arrested a Lao student, known by his first name as Ala, for religious involvement. The police authorities also arrested six Thai Chrisitans who visited Ala. It has been 25 days that Thai Christians, known by their first names as Ayo, Sanon, Tawit, Taweesak, Sarlapong, and Piloo, hve been waiting in prison in order to be charged formally. Later today (April 17, local time), Lao officials are expected to informally charge Thai Christians and also to inform those charges to the Lao Christian leaders in Luang Namtha province. Lao Churches in Saybuli District Struggle to Reclaim Confiscated Church Properties Today, Sunday morning, April 15th (local time), Khamnonsung Church still holds worship services inside the confiscated building of the church for the second straight week, while Dongpaiwan Church conducts Sunday services on property outside of the confiscated church building. At the same time, Kengweng Church assembles for prayer and worship in a place adjacent to the confiscated church building. Read Full Articles Police Officials Ambushed and Barred Worship Services in Paksong Village Approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, April 8, 2012 (local time), six Songkorn district officials ambushed a church worship service in Paksong village and arrested the church leader, Pastor Khamsorn, and barred Christians from holding any more church services at that location. Read Full Article A 49-Year-Old Lao Church Now Becomes the 4th Victim of Lao Government’s Aggression on the Eve of Good Friday Celebration Approximately 3:00 PM on April 5, 2012 (yesterday, local time), the same Lao officials have now ordered the confiscation and shutdown of the 4th Protestant church (Khamnonsung village). The takeover of Khamnonsung church came on the eve of Good Friday (in Laos) after three district officials completed a 3-day political seminar or training on April 3-5, 2012, in Khamnonsung village, where all Khamnonsung villagers were required to attend. Read Full Article Religious Freedom Watchdog USCIRF Maintains Laos on Watch List in 2012 for Serious Abuses of Religious Freedom Serious religious freedom abuses continue in Laos. The Lao government restricts religious practice through its legal code and has not curtailed religious freedom abuses in some rural areas. Provincial officials continue to violate the freedom of religion or belief of ethnic minority Protestants through detentions, surveillance, harassment, property confiscations, forced relocations, and forced renunciations of faith. Read Full Article Lao Christians Reclaim Confiscated Church from Lao Authorities Since the confiscation, Lao authorities had padlocked doors of the three churches. However, today KENGWENG CHURCH and DONGPAIWAN CHURCH began reclaiming their church back from the authorities, after the leaders of the Lao Evangelical Church (LEC) failed in their attempts to secure the church back from the authorities. Approximately 8:00 AM this morning (April 1, 2012, local time), members of KENGWENG CHURCH gathered for worship services outside of the confiscated church building. Read Full Article Boukham Officials Released Five Lao Christians Being Charged with Leading a Religious Movement Five Christians attending worship service at Boukham village church, who were arrested on March 25 at 2:00 PM and charged with leading a religous movement without permission, were later released on the same day at 6:00 PM. The arrest and detention, which were carried out under the authority of the village chief and sub-district police, came in the midst of an investigation team on religous freedom violations visiting Savannkhet trouble areas, such as Saibuli and Ad-sapangthong districts. Lao Officials Charge Believers for Leading a Religious Movement Around 2:00 PM on March 25, 2012, Boukham village authorities arrested and detained five Lao Christians, charging them with “leading religious movements without official approval.” Read Full Article Lao Officials Should Not Discriminate or Charge Religious Groups on the Basis of Registration or Legal Status Lao local officials, consisting of all three levels of government—provincial, district, and village—continue to harass and arrest members of non-registered Protestant groups claiming they do not have legal status or approval to practice religion issued to them by proper authorities. Religious groups attempting to register with the governemnt authorities, namely the Lao Front for Nationa Construction (LFNC), continue face hardship and postponement. Since Decree 92 (Lao religious law) took effect in 2002, not one religious group or denomination has been approved for registration or legal status by the LFNC. Read Full Article Twenty Lao Officials to Abolish First Christian Faith in Viengphukham distrct of Luang Namtha On March 2, 2012, twenty Lao officials summoned a new Christian convert, Khamla (male), to their headquarters and sharply rebuked him for believing in the Christian faith. After interrogation, the officials issued Khamla an ultimatum: "Give up believing in the Christian religion or be cast out from the village." Khamla has been given till today (March 7) to make his decision. Read Full Article |