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Sri Lanka - UN special rapporteur to investigate religious freedom |
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Friday, 20 May 2005 |
On April 5, Geoffrey Yogarajah of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), spoke at the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, condemning increasing acts of violence against Christians and criticizing proposed anti-conversion laws, which he said would lead to harassment of minority religious groups.
He was making reference to the JHU Buddhist Party’s Bill for the Prohibition of Forcible Conversion, which will have its second parliamentary reading on May 23, and a similar government-initiated bill — both of which entail penalties for those found to play a role in the conversion of a person from one religion to another. Ms Asma Jahangir, appointed last year as the UN Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Religion and Belief, agreed to visit Sri Lanka in May. (Compass)
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Burma - suspected use of chemical weapons against Karenni |
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Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
Investigators from Christian Solidarity Worldwide have alleged that chemical weapons have been used by the military junta against Karenni camps in Burma. Karenni soldiers affected by the explosive device have shown symptoms of severe irritation to eyes, throat, lungs and skin, have developed muscle weakness, coughed up blood, and lost considerable weight. Circumstantial evidence suggests nerve, pulmonary and blister agents have been used.
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No sign of change in Eritrea… torture of Christians continues |
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Thursday, 12 May 2005 |
883 Christians are known to be jailed in prisons, shipping containers and military camps, according to a documented list compiled by church sources in Eritrea.
This month marks the third anniversary of the Eritrean Government’s draconian religious registration laws, which reduced the nations “legitimate” religions to Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and Muslim—rendering evangelical, Pentecostal, and house churches illegal and liable for prosecution.
Since the forced closures in 2002, 11 Protestant churches have reapplied for registration, and have been denied. It was only in April 2005, at the UN Commission for Human Rights, that the Eritrean Government announced that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church was in the final stages of authorization.
Despite this apparent progress in religious freedom, hundreds of Protestant church members and at least 16 pastors have been apprehended during prayer meetings in private homes, at wedding ceremonies, or in their place of work since January 2005—in what appears to be a government-led crackdown.
For three years, the Eritrean Government has flat-out denied accusations of religious persecution in the country. However, in actual fact, Christians have been subjected to imprisonment without charge, beatings, torture and cruel deprivations when refusing to renounce their faith. (Compass)
The Eritrean Reality
Imprisoned Christians (whereabouts unknown) and places of imprisonment:
- Sawa Military Camp—235
- Mai Serwa Military Camp—65
- Adi-Abyto—53
- Assab—73
- Weaa—190
- Gelalo—100
- Alaa—101
- Adi Teklizan—16
- Asmara local police station—41
- Keren local police station—9
...144 of the prisoners are women |
Pastors in custody include:
- Full Gospel Church:
Dr Kiflu Gebremeskel, Haile Naizgi, Hagos Abraha, Abraham Belay, Kidane
Gebremeskel, Fanuel Mihreteab, Tewelde Gebreab, Kedane Weldu
- Rema Church: Tesfatsion Hagos, Habteab Oqbamichael
- Kale Hiwot Church: Oqbamichael Haimanot, Isaac Mehari
- New Covenant Church: Yohannes Tesfamichael
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Britain - religious hatred legislation dropped |
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Monday, 09 May 2005 |
The British government has dropped the incitement to religious hatred clause that was to be included in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill. While outwardly a victory for human rights groups and those who united against the clause, the Bill is expected to be reintroduced to parliament now the May 5th election has been conducted.
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Thursday, 05 May 2005 |
 In April, Iranian authorities began secretive hearings against Christian convert Hamid Pourmand, who is up on charges of apostasy (forsaking Islam) and proselytizing. However, when international attention was drawn to the case, the hearings suddenly ceased.
A colonel in the Iranian army and an Assemblies of God pastor who became a Christian 25 years ago, Pourmand would have faced the death penalty under these charges. He was already doing time in Evin Prison, being convicted earlier in the year of “deceiving the military” about his faith—despite ample evidence that his superiors knew for many years he was a Christian. Pourmand was to be transferred to Bandar-i Bushehr, his home town, to face the extra charges. His wife and two teenage children, who were to be evicted from their military housing, have been given permission to stay until the end of the current school term. Reportedly, local church leaders are under such government pressure that they do not dare to have any contact with her and the children. (Story and photo: Compass)
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Tuesday, 03 May 2005 |
 Over several years, Tears of the Oppressed has been advocating on behalf of Siham Qandah, a Jordanian Christian widow, whose husband was killed in Kosovo as a UN peacekeeper some years ago. We are pleased to announce she has won her fight to have her estranged Muslim brother removed as the legal guardian of her two children.
At a hearing on April 12, Judge Mahmud Zghl revoked the legal guardianship of Siham’s brother, Abdullah al-Muhtadi, over her daughter Rawan, 16 and son Fadi, 15. He also ordered al-Muhtadi to repay misspent amounts taken from the children’s trust fund. Al-Muhtadi has 30 days to appeal against the ruling at Amman’s Al-Abdali Shari’ah Court. If he does not appeal, then a written verdict will be issued and a new custodian, proposed by Siham, will be appointed. (Story and photo: Compass)
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Young Vietnamese woman released! |
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Sunday, 01 May 2005 |
 Vietnamese authorities released children’s Christian worker Le Thi Hong Lien from Bien Hoa Mental Hospital on April 28, as one of six political prisoners to be released in an amnesty on the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The other five political prisoners include Rev. Pham Ngoc Lien, sentenced in 1987 to 20 years imprisonment for “putting out hostile propaganda”, and four Montagnards who were sentenced in February 2004.
Le Thi Hong Lien’s family and members of theVietnamese Mennonite community pause to pray with her outside the hospital.
Photos: Compass
Le Thi Hong Lien, now aged 22, was greeted at the hospital by her family and the Vietnamese Mennonite Church Committee. While in prison Lien suffered severe abuse, including drug injections, frequent beatings, electric shocks, food deprivation and verbal abuse. Although she recently began to speak again, she still has difficulty moving her jaw, which was smashed and left untreated. Lien was originally brought before the court on false charges of “resisting officers doing their duty”, after an incident outside a Mennonite house church in May last year. Lien and her father refused to sign an amnesty release paper as it included a clause stating the punishment was just.
Meanwhile presiding Judge Nguyen Xuan Phat upheld the three-year sentence of the Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang and the two-year sentence of Evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach at an appeal court hearing on April 12.
On the morning of the trial, various police units dressed in riot gear were stationed at the courthouse compound. Around 200 Christians came to the courthouse to show solidarity with the Mennonite prisoners by holding a silent prayer vigil. On April 11, Mrs. Quang was summoned to the District 2 police station and scolded for writing and circulating an urgent appeal to Christians everywhere to fast and pray for justice to be done for her husband and the other Mennonite prisoners.
Nguyen Hong Quang and Pham Ngoc Thach were two of six prisoners arrested last year for allegedly "resisting officers doing their duty". Quang is known for documenting human rights abuse committed by Vietnamese authorities.
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