12 July 2001

Laotian Christians have long suffered oppression and persecution under Communism. However, in recent years this persecution has so intensified that it is classified as 'extreme', with Laos now appearing with Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and China as the worst persecuting nations in the July 2001 Open Doors World Watch List.

Commenting on a report from WEF's Southeast Asia correspondent, Mark Albrecht (WEF RLC senior editor) describes the situation as 'a prime example of aggressive, active persecution by the government'.

In 1999, the Laotian Government declared that Christians were the 'number one enemy of the State', labelling Christianity as an 'imperialist foreign religion' backed by the enemies of Laos (primarily the USA). To 'eliminate Christianity', the government has a concerted campaign called 'The Program'. From this, Laotian Christians have been forced since early 2000 to sign a document headed 'Voluntary resignation from a foreign religion, into which the enemy has enticed us in past days.' Security police squads travel the country enforcing this and conducting 're-education'. Those who sign are often forced to carry out animist rituals.

This document believers are being forced to sign acknowledges:

Prison conditions in Laos are appalling, even life threatening. Prisoners are poorly fed on the most meagre rations. They are shackled or put in stocks, beaten and have to endure intolerably filthy, unsanitary conditions. Most religious prisoners are held on charges of sedition and national security offences, while some are held purely for 'believing in the Jesus religion'. The total of those known to be jailed for their faith is 32.

On 31 May 2001, seven church leaders and one member were imprisoned for refusing to sign the document renouncing their faith and for encouraging others not to sign it. The seven leaders, severely weakened by the appalling conditions, were all tortured with electric shocks until they relented in early July and signed the document in prison. They are home, suffering crippling remorse. Some are still too weak to walk.

It has been reported that the central government has sent secret orders to local authorities to close all the churches throughout Laos, starting in the countryside. This campaign has been evident for some time, with WEF RLC listing 59 churches as having been closed in the last 18 months.

(from the WEF Religious Liberty Prayer List)

Subscribe for regular prayer or news updates.