The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada http://www.persecution.net Wednesday, September 3, 2003

A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can respond. *********************************** Contents: 1. New Law May Place Obstacles On Public Religious Gatherings (Belarus) 2. Pastors Arrested and Beaten (Vietnam) 3. Vietnamese Refugees Trapped on Border (Cambodia) 4. Evangelicals Concerned Over Possible Exclusion (Sri Lanka) 5. Cleric Acquitted of Leading Church Attacks (Indonesia) 6. Question of the Week *********************************** 1. New Law May Place Obstacles On Public Religious Gatherings (Belarus)

Those of “minority faiths,” including Protestant Christians, may find it more difficult to hold public events in Belarus, according to a September 1 report from Forum 18. In June, both houses of parliament approved a law governing public events and demonstrations, stating that organizations may be liquidated (made illegal) if any one event results in “substantial harm to the rights and legal interests of citizens or organisations, or the state or public interest.” The law, which came into force on August 29, initially contained exemptions for religious gatherings, but these were reportedly removed by President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The actual enforcement of the law will largely depend upon local and state officials. Some are supportive of religious gatherings while others are very restrictive. Pentecostal Bishop Sergei Khomich told Forum 18 that, “In one region we were told that we could not hold baptisms in lakes and rivers because it would disturb fishermen.”

Pray for wisdom for Christians in Belarus as they deal with the new restrictions placed on them. Pray for their continued ministry and outreach to their nation. *********************************** 2. Pastors Arrested and Beaten (Vietnam)

Sources for The Voice of the Martyrs report that ten pastors were taken from a meeting at the home of Rev. B ¹i V?n Ba in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18. After protests from the United Gospel Outreach Church, seven of the pastors were released. Pastor Ba and two other pastors were handcuffed to tables and tortured. They were released the following day after representatives of the United Nations Human Rights Committee flew to Ho Chi Minh City to intervene. Pastor Ba remains under house arrest, charged with resisting arrest.

Pray for strength and a continued assurance of God’s presence for Pastor Ba and the others arrested. Pray for protection for God’s people suffering in Vietnam. *********************************** 3. Vietnamese Refugees Trapped on Border (Cambodia)

The Montagnard Foundation, an organization dedicated to assist and support the persecuted people from the hill country of Vietnam, has recently received information on over fifty refugees hiding in the jungles of the Vietnam/Cambodia border. According to their August 26 press release, the refugees, consisting of men, women and children, are sick, starving, and exhausted as they are being pursued by Cambodian authorities who would hand them over to the Vietnamese government for cash bounties (less than $100 Cdn/person). If returned to Vietnam, they face imprisonment, torture, and possibly death.

For several years, the Montagnard people, many of whom are Christians, have faced systematic and brutal persecution from the Vietnamese government, both for ethnic and religious reasons. In April 2003, Human Rights Watch stated that, “despite Hanoi’s statements of concern for its ethnic minorities, Vietnam is clearly escalating its repression of the Montagnards.”

Pray for protection for these people who are fleeing for their lives. Pray that the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) will get involved soon to protect them. We encourage you to politely express your concerns to government and UN officials. For contact information, go to our website at http://www.persecution.net/links.htm. *********************************** 4. Evangelicals Concerned Over Possible Exclusion (Sri Lanka)

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL) is asking for assistance to ensure that the government of Sri Lanka officially recognizes evangelical churches. The Christian Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka has recently announced that it will be compiling a list of “recognized” churches, but it appears that only the Roman Catholic Church and mainline Protestant denominations will be included on the list. Evangelicals make up less than one percent of the population, numbering around 120,000. There has been consistent pressure, particularly from Buddhist groups, against the evangelicals. The EASL is concerned that, if evangelical churches are left off the official list, it may amount to being outlawed.

Please pray for the evangelicals in Sri Lanka and the continued challenges they face. We encourage you to contact the Minister of Christian Affairs and politely express your concerns and desire that he continue to protect all Christian churches by recognizing the churches of the National Christian Alliance Church, which functions under the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka.

Hon. John Amaratunga Minister of Christian Affairs 98, D. S. Senanayake Mawatha Colombo 8 Sri Lanka Fax: 94-1-2665584 (remember to include the international codes required for your country) *********************************** 5. Cleric Acquitted of Leading Church Attacks (Indonesia)

Yesterday (September 1) an Indonesian court convicted Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir of treason and immigration charges and sentenced him to four years in jail. He was, however, acquitted of more serious charges when the judges ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to convict him of leading the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah (JI). This group has been responsible for several attacks on churches, including attacks in December 2000, which left nineteen people dead. Prosecutors alleged that Ba’asyir had approved the church attacks. JI, which has links to al Qaeda, has also been blamed for last year’s bombing of a nightclub in Bali and a failed assassination attempt on Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Pray that this ruling will not stir up further militancy by Islamic groups in Indonesia. Pray for protection for Christians throughout Indonesia, as tensions continue. *********************************** 6. Question of the Week

In last week’s Persecution and Prayer Alert, we referred to the court ruling in Alabama ordering the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from the State Judicial Building. We asked whether you thought that the order to remove the monument was a violation of religious freedom.

Later that day, the monument was actually removed. Several of you responded this week with very helpful comments. We decided that we would like to continue this discussion. We welcome your opinion on the question: “Is the order to remove the Ten Commandments monument a violation of religious freedom?”

To participate in our poll and discussion, go to http://www.persecution.net and click on “Discussion Forum.” If you have not registered on our forum in the past, click on “Register” and select a username and password. While in our discussion forum, take a look at some of the other questions from the past month and give us you comments. *********************************** The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4L5) Tel. (905) 670.9721. Fax: (905) 670.7642 Website: http://www.persecution.net *********************************** Contact Person: Glenn Penner, Communications Director.

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