Today’s Headlines:

U.S. MISSIONARIES ORDERED TO LEAVE VENEZUELA WITHIN 3 MONTHS

TRIBAL CHRISTIANS OFTEN VICTIMIZED BY ATROCITIES IN MYANMAR

PROTESTANTS IN UZBEKISTAN FACE ‘HARSH MEASURES’ FROM AUTHORITIES

Today’s Top Stories:

U.S. MISSIONARIES ORDERED TO LEAVE VENEZUELA WITHIN 3 MONTHS

The Venezuelan Interior and Justice Ministry announced in a press release published on Monday, Nov. 14, that U.S. missionaries with New Tribes Mission (NTM) who work in areas populated by indigenous communities have 90 days “to get out of the country.” This follows a radio and television broadcast on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when President Hugo Ch ¡vez ordered NTM members to be expelled from Venezuelan soil.

Under the resolution, a permit granted to the evangelistic group on Aug. 4, 1953, by then Justice Minister Lu ­s Felipe Urbaneja was revoked. The press release stated that such authorization “allowed transit and activities of New Tribes Mission.” Such a permit was issued “for an indefinite term, but it can be revoked on a three month notice,” whenever the Venezuelan government deems it appropriate.

Ch ¡vez has accused NTM missionaries of destroying Indian cultures and spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and foreign commercial interests. He also called the Florida-based organization an example of “imperialist infiltration.”

The Florida-based group, which has 160 missionaries and staff in Venezuela, has repeatedly denied accusations of wrongdoing and urged Ch ¡vez to reconsider. However, he never responded to a request from leaders of the Evangelical Council and Pentecostal Evangelical Federation of Venezuela for a meeting to discuss the allegations.

Tensions also have been reported between Venezuela’s government and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) which announced that about 200 foreign missionaries were leaving the country because of visa problems.

Ch ¡vez became embroiled in a dispute with Pat Robertson, the U.S. evangelical leader and broadcaster, who suggested in August that the U.S. should assassinate Ch ¡vez. He later apologized for his remarks.

Sources: Ecumenical News International, The Daily Journal, ElUniversal.com

Cai Zhuohua, pastor of a Chinese house church, and two of his family members who were found guilty of “illegal business practices” have dropped plans to appeal their convictions. A press release from the China Aid Association stated that a clerk from Haidian District People’s Court visited Cai at the Qinghe Detention Center and warned him that his sentence would be increased if he “annoyed” the judges with an appeal. He added that Cai’s prison sentence would have been suspended if he had not hired lawyers who were “troubling the government.” The decision to drop the appeal came as President George W. Bush began an eight-day tour of Asia, including a visit to China Nov. 19-21. In a speech made in Japan on Wednesday, Nov. 16, he urged China to open the door to more political and religious freedoms. Cai was found guilty Tuesday, Nov. 8, after the discovery of 200,000 copies of the Bible and other Christian literature in a storage room that he managed. He was also fined the equivalent of US$19,700 while his wife was fined US$14,600 and his brother, US$12,000. (Compass/Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

TRIBAL CHRISTIANS OFTEN VICTIMIZED BY ATROCITIES IN MYANMAR

The U.N. and various human rights groups have accused the military regime in Myanmar (Burma) of atrocities including forced labor and extra-judicial killings. Many of those killings have been tribal Christians, says Strategic World Impact’s Kevin Turner. “This is being conducted by the government, using its military all up and down the border with Thailand and of course the entire country, where there’s not just persecution, they’re actually killing, slaughtering whole villages.” Myanmar tops the U.S State Department’s 2005 list of countries of particular concern. Turner says Myanmar’s abuses have had an impact on the ministry’s outreach. “We’ve been smuggling in Bibles across the border, and we’ve been bringing in food and supplies,” he said. “We helped build a church and a school. Within one month the Burmese military had come in and not only burned our church to the ground, but they also destroyed the entire village.” (Mission Network News)

PROTESTANTS IN UZBEKISTAN FACE ‘HARSH MEASURES’ FROM AUTHORITIES

“Harsh measures have been targeted at Christians,” reported a Protestant in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Authorities are especially targeting ethnic Uzbek church members. “Unfortunately, in Uzbekistan today there is no Protestant church that doesn’t face persecution, whether registered or not,” he said. The Uzbek Supreme Court’s recently confirmed the banning of Emmanuel Full Gospel Church in Nukus in northwestern Uzbekistan, and the separate banning from meeting of the Fores Full Gospel Congregation in Tashkent. All Protestant activity is illegal in the northwestern part of the country. Members from the Emmanuel church said they will fight for their right to meet legally. A member of the Fores church said that congregants are “tired and angry. They can’t reconcile themselves to the illegal ban on practicing their religious rights.” (Forum 18 News Service)