Perilous
Times
Laos Authorities Expelling Dozens Of Christians From Village
Over Faith
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 (10:43 pm)
By BosNewsLife Asia Service
Lao Christians threatened to be expelled from village, activists
say, the latest in a series of reported anti-Christian incidents
targeting churches and individuals in the Communist country.
VIENTIANE, LAOS (BosNewsLife)-- Dozens of Christians in southern
Laos have been told to leave their village within 24 hours if they
continue to believe in Christ and hold worship services, an
advocacy group defending the Christians said Wednesday, December
21.
With Christmas approaching, Lao authorities already plan to expel
at least 47 Christians, "including men, women and children," from
Natoo village in the Palansai District of Savannakhet province,
explained Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).
The group said four Christian family leaders "were summoned"
Wednesday, December 21, to appear in front of the village chief
and local religious affairs officials as well as security forces
where they were allegedly ordered to "cease all beliefs and
practices in the Christian faith."
HRWLRF, which apparently obtained remarks from the meeting, quoted
officials also as saying: “If you continue holding on to your
faith, then you are forfeiting your right to live in our village
and you must move out by tomorrow.”
When Christian believers asked who was behind the eviction order,
village authorities reportedly replied: "We are the ones giving
the order because we are the owners of this village." It was
difficult to immediately independently verify the claims, but
HRWLRF has correctly reported previous incidents involving
Christians in the Communist-run Asian nation.
EVICTION ORDER
The reported eviction order came just days after elsewhere in
Savannakhet province security forces reportedly detained eight
church leaders for organizing a Christmas worship service in
Boukham Village in Ad-Sapangthong District.
HRWLRF said security forces "under the order of the village chief"
and arrested the leaders during a December 16 "Christmas
gathering" in the village.
"The village authorities escorted the Christian leaders out from
the gathering two at a time. The leaders were then taken to the
village government headquarters and detained there."
Four of the eight leaders, identified only as Kingmanosorn,
Sompong, Puphet, and Oun—were, were allegedly placed in handcuffs
and wooden stocks, a common form of police torture in the country.
"The rest of the leaders were unrestrained," HRWLRF said. Family
members have reportedly been allowed to deliver blankets and food
to the prisoners.
PRISONER FREE
The Lao Evangelical Church (LEC), the only Protestant group
recognized by the government, reportedly managed to negotiate the
release of one of the detainees held in stocks. The man,
identified as Kingnamosorn, was released after paying a fine of 1
million kip, about $123, to the village chief, rights activists
said.
The average monthly wage for an unskilled laborer in the province
is close to $40, Christians explained. It was not immediately
clear Wednesday, December 21, for how long the other Christians
would be held.
Christians say it is normal for Lao Christians to hold Christmas
celebrations before or after December 25 to avoid drawing the
attention of authorities.
Laos ranks 10 on the 2011 World Watch List of the 50 "worst"
nations for Christians, said advocacy group Open Doors, which
publishes the annual list. "The government's attitude towards
Christians is very negative. The church cannot operate freely and
Christians are restricted in their roles in their families and
communities," said the group.
"Many believers experience extreme physical and emotional pressure
to renounce their faith."
CHRISTIANS KILLED
Last year, in 2010, 29 Christians were killed and at least 20 were
arrested and held without trial, according to Open Doors
estimates. Several churches were destroyed and at least 11
Christian families were forced out of their villages into the
forest when they refused to recant their faith, the group added.
Yet, despite the reported persecution, churches are reportedly
growing. There are as many as 200,000 devoted Christians in Laos,
where most of the 6.4 million people are Buddhists, according to
Christian rights investigators.
Lao authorites have not publicly commented on the latest
developments, however analysts say Christianity is generally
perceived as a Western ideology that challenges Communism.
"Restrictions on believers are not expected to ease in the coming
years," Open Doors said. (With reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan
J. Bos)