Faith
Under Fire...
Laos increases its crackdown on Christianity as authorities
arrest another Pastor For Spreading Christianity
Monday, June 11, 2012 (2:21 am)
VIENTIIANE, LAOS – Police in northern Laos have detained a pastor
"for attracting people to the Christian faith" as part of a wider
crackdown on evangelism in the region, a representative said on
Saturday, June 9.
Pastor Asa, 53, was reportedly arrested Wednesday, June 6, at his
home in Peeyeur village in the Sing district of Luang Namtha
province.
"He is still in jail," confirmed Sirikoon Prasertsee, the director
of Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF), a major
advocacy group working in the area.
Lao authorities reportedly transported him to Luang Namtha
provincial prison, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from his home
village.
The detention comes a week after Lao authorities released six Thai
Christians, who were also detained in Luang Namtha province on
March 24 for their involvement in the spreading of the Christian
faith," Prasertsee told reporters.
CHRISTIAN VILLAGE
Pastor Asa, who uses one name, is the leader of the evangelical
Peeyeur Village Church in Peeyeur village, with some 115 Christian
villagers, and supervises over a dozen other congregations, Lao
believers said.
He and five other family members belong to the Akkia tribe, which
has seen a growing number of churches, according to HRWLRF
investigators.
"Both Sing and Rong districts have 15 Akka tribal churches and
Pastor Asa is serving as their leader," the group said.
Pastor Asa’s case is linked to an incident two years ago when he
was detained and allegedly forced to sign a declaration that he
"would neither share nor lead people to accept" Jesus Christ as
their Lord and Savior, Christians said.
"However, in this year, he has seen many people accepting the
Christian faith as a result of his witness," explained HRWLRF.
PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES
Pastor Khamla, who traveled to meet with provincial police, was
reportedly told that police charged Pastor Asa "for leading people
to receive the Christian faith."
A local Christian leader suggested that the "provincial
authorities are behind the order of Pastor Asa's arrest."
"Local church leaders also strongly believe that the Lao
government wants to eliminate Christianity in Luang Namtha
province" and other areas of Laos, Prasertsee added.
There about 200,000 devoted Christians in the Communist-run Asian
nation, where most of the 6.4 million people are Buddhists,
according to Christian estimates.
Lao officials are not known to have commented on the case.
The HRWLRF said it has urges the Lao government to "respect Lao
Christians’ freedom to manifest their religion or belief" as
"guaranteed by the Lao constitution and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, which was ratified by the Lao
government."
Analysts say Christianity in Laos is generally perceived as a
Western ideology that challenges the ruling Communist
establishment.