Christians are being arrested in Laos and are not heard from again:
In Southern Laos, two Christian men have been taken from their farms and put in prison. No charges have been filed and no news is forthcoming about their current situation.Join me in praying that these men will be returned to their family and that they will be treated fairly and pray that the government will cease treating Christians in this manner.
[...]In North Central Laos, on January 18, five police officers showed up at a Christian brother's home and arrested him. VOM sources have known him and his family for 20 years. His wife and 12-year-old son did not get an opportunity to speak to him before he was taken away. All efforts to locate him or allow his wife to know where he is being detained have been unsuccessful. According to VOM contacts, in several similar incidents, the people taken by police were never found alive.
Here is some background information on the situation in Laos:
While the Laos constitution contains provision for the freedom of religion, Laotian Christians continue to suffer restrictions on their faith: proselytizing by foreigners is prohibited, any association with a foreign religious organization must receive government approval, and only three churches are officially recognized by the government.
Unfortunately, what at first seemed like mild restrictions have since developed into full-scale persecution. Government officials have labeled Christianity "the number one enemy of the state." Christians are being commanded to recant their faith or face losing their homes and land. Churches have been confiscated and pastors murdered. Persons in public service jobs such as teachers are threatened with losing their jobs if they don't renounce their faith. And in certain provinces, entire groups of believers are expelled from their regions and sometimes their country! Secret campaigns to close down all Christian churches have led to numerous arrests, with charges of "anti-government activities" being filed. These prisoners have been
known to receive no food or rations. Often their families must continue to bring them sustenance.
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