debate

CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE

For immediate release

July 19 2002

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN ASIA RAISED IN HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE

The severe persecution of Christians in many countries in Asia was highlighted by MPs in a House of Commons debate on Wednesday.

Labour MP for Stroud, David Drew, pointed out that Christians suffer more persecution than any other religious group. He went on to note that more Christians were killed for their faith in the last century than in the previous nineteen combined.

Mr Drew focused in particular on the situation in North Korea, mentioning the reported incident of a guard pouring molten iron over living Christians because they refused to renounce their faith. He called on the Government to press the North Korean regime to allow human rights monitors unrestricted access to the political prison camps in which tens of thousands of people are held and untold numbers tortured, abused and killed every year.

Conservative MP for North-East Bedfordshire, Alistair Burt, concentrated upon the situation in Pakistan. Among other incidents, he drew attention to the kidnap and gang rape by Islamic militants of 14-year-old Christian schoolgirl Naira Nadia, as a punishment for speaking to her friends about her faith.

Labour MP for Loughborough, Andy Reed, drew attention to the hundreds of Christian leaders in China who have been imprisoned in the last few years alone. Amongst the individual concerns raised were the five leaders in the South China Church who were given death sentences at the end of last year.

All three MPs also urged the Foreign Office to increasingly place religious liberty at the heart of its foreign policy. The minister speaking for the Government, Denis MacShane, said in the debate that human rights issues are an essential part of its new dialogue with the North Korean Government. He went on to say that the UK Government would continue to ask the North Korean authorities to allow human rights monitors open access to different parts of the country so they could seek out information on the camps.

A number of the MPs who spoke, including Mr MacShane and Alan Duncan, the Conservative front bench spokesman on Foreign Affairs, praised the work of Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Mr Duncan also urged that Britain make clear to regimes that their failure to prevent persecution of Christians is wholly unacceptable.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Parliamentary Officer Dr Alan Hobson worked closely with David Drew MP to initiate the adjournment debate and prepare the keynote speech.

Mr Drew said: “This debate has highlighted abuses suffered daily by Christians in many parts of Asia. It is important to bring this to the attention of Parliament, and this is one of a number of debates over the last couple of years initiated by MPs on the subject of the persecution of Christians. We urge the Foreign Office to take a much more active stance on this whole issue”.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: “We are heartened that the persecution of Christians has been highlighted in Parliament.

“We are encouraged by the Government’s expressions of commitment to pursue human rights in Asia and we especially hope they will use the full potential of the new openings in North Korea to raise strong and consistent concerns for human rights.”

For more information, contact Richard Chilvers at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8949 0587 or 020 8942 8810 or email or go to http://www.csw.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

In a current parallel demonstration of concern about religious persecution, four separate Early Day Motions (EDMs) on the persecution of Christians in North Korea, Pakistan and China, as well as in Sudan, have each been signed by more than 100 MPs.

EDMs, though rarely debated, are tabled by MPs to raise awareness of issues and to show the level of concern for the matters raised.

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