Religious Persecution in Laos
This is a press release, regarding religious persecution in Laos. The article is from the LaoHumanRights website, released on September 9, 2001.
Witnesses in Laos have reported to the Lao Human Rights Council, Inc. in the United States, that the Communist Lao government has arrested and imprisoned more than 250 Hmong and Lao religious leaders, pastors and believers and closed down more than 60 Christian churches and religious institutions and organizations in Luang Prabang, Phongsali, Savannakhnet, Louang Nantha, Oudomxai, Xaignabouri, Champasak, Vientiane, Xieng Khouang, Houapham, Borikhamxai provinces and other provinces in Laos during 2000 and 2001.
Witnesses in Laos continued to report that the Communist Lao government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) has been forcing many thousands of Hmong and Lao people to sign documents to "renunciate" their faith and belief in Christianity and other types of Western religions.
The report of Associated Press (AP) of July 7, 2001 said that, "Authorities in Communist Laos have arrested eight Christians and are forcing churches in the country to close" and "The Communist government in Laos is intent on wiping out the church there." The report states, "Residents in Vientiane said that this year some churches had been shut down in Savanna Khet, Luang Prabang and Vientiane Provinces and worshipers were forced by local officials to renounce their religious beliefs." (AP, July 7, 2001)
Alex Spillius, a reporter in Bangkok, Thailand, reported on July 16, 2001, that, "Christians in Laos are forced to drink blood and renounce faith." Spillius continued that, "Christians in the isolated Communist state of Laos are being rounded up, imprisoned, and forced at gunpoint to renounce their faith, as part of a widening crackdown on their religion."
In 2000, witnesses in Laos reported that there were more than 60,000 Christians in Laos. The Communist Lao authorities of the LPDR are continuing to force many thousands of people to renounce their faith and belief in Christianity. The Communist Lao authorities have been using a two-part strategy to punish those Christian people in Laos: They must renounce their belief in Christianity or if they refuse to comply with this order of the Communist Lao government, they must go to jail without a trial for not renouncing their faith and belief.
These actions of the Communist Lao government of the LPDR violate the Constitution of the LPDR; the Charter of the United Nations; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief; and other international human rights laws and conventions.
We urge international human rights organizations, the European Union, the United Nations, and the U.S. government to cooperate with the Lao Human Rights Council to condemn the Communist Lao government of the LPDR for violations of religious freedom in Laos. We appeal to and strongly urge the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Union, the U.S. government, the Japanese government, the government of Australia, and other governments and organizations and financial institutions in the world to cut out foreign aid and assistance to the Communist Lao government because this Communist government is committing genocide, human rights violations, an ethnic cleansing war against the Hmong and Lao people, and religious persecution against people in Laos.
Released by:
Dr. Vang Pobzeb
Executive Director
Lao Human Rights Council, Inc. in the United States
