wfn.org | Christian Church Leaders Arrested in Laos

[APD <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

July 8, 2001
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD

Christian Church Leaders Arrested in Laos

London, United Kingdom. (JC/AP) The interdenominational 
Christian human rights organisation "Jubilee Campaign" 
has recently received reliable reports that on the 
morning of May 31st this year, seven church leaders 
and one church member were arrested by the police in 
Laos. The detained Christian men are: 
Sipasert Phuadaeng, 52,
Bounyarn Robkhob, 58,
Tem Chanthara, 56, 
Mr. Puang, 60, 
Phouwanard Trivilaisook, 40, 
Mr. Kiloy, 36, 
Kong Phaeng Phrasawat, 36, and 
Mr. Khemphet, 30. 

Jubilee Campaign has also received information that 
the central government of Laos has sent secret orders 
to local authorities to close down the churches in 
the whole country starting in the countryside.

Three of the detained Christian leaders, Sipasert 
Phuadaeng, Tem Chanthara and Kong Phaeng Phrasawat 
are now too weak to walk as their health has suffered 
badly due to the poor prison conditions. 3 of the 
younger prisoners are being kept handcuffed. Jubilee 
Campaign is deeply concerned about  the health of 
these detainees as the bad prison conditions are 
likely to cause their physical condition to 
deteriorate drastically. As an excuse to persecute 
these Christians for their religious beliefs, trumped 
up charges have been made against them of so-called 
anti-government activities and involvement with 
foreign political movements in order to weaken the 
government. 
  
Jubilee Campaign has learned that these 8 Christians 
were arrested by the police because the authorities 
wanted to force them to give up their Christian 
faith. For some time now they have been threatened by 
the police. Several attempts have  been made to force 
them to sign affidavits renouncing their religious 
beliefs but all of them have refused to co-operate. 
The families of these detainees are also under 
intense pressure from the authorities to abandon 
their Christian faith. 

For years the Lao authorities have been arresting 
large numbers of Christians, in an attempt to stop 
their religious activities and to force them to give 
up their faith. For instance, recently the police 
have been using a variety of tactics to frighten 
Christians in Muang Songkhone district, Savannakhet 
province, to force them to sign official documents 
renouncing their faith but this strategy has not 
worked as well as they intended which is one reason 
why they have decided to arrest the  church leaders. 

Wilfred Wong, Jubilee's Researcher and Parliamentary 
Officer, says, "The Communist government in Laos is 
intent on wiping out the church there. There is an 
urgent need to mobilise prayer and international 
pressure on behalf of Lao Christians."

Jubilee Campaign has mobilised Parliamentarians to 
lobby the government of Laos and the British Foreign 
Office in an attempt to stop the campaign by the Lao 
authorities to destroy the church. (Editor Wilfried 
Wong for Jubilee Campaign)